Mine usually lasts around 1-2 years, but honestly, I’ve seen patients who keep theirs going strong for even longer. Cloudiness is pretty common—I always joke that mouthguards age like fine wine...they might lose a bit of clarity over time, but they still do their job just fine.
I remember one patient who came in with a mouthguard he'd been using for nearly five years. It was practically opaque at that point—looked like frosted glass! But structurally, it was still solid and comfortable. He swore by his routine of soaking it in diluted vinegar once a week and occasionally tossing in a denture tablet overnight. Seems like you're already on the right track there.
From my experience, cloudiness usually comes down to mineral deposits from saliva or sometimes just natural wear from nightly grinding. Even with meticulous care, some discoloration is inevitable. As long as it doesn't develop cracks or rough edges, it's mostly cosmetic. Of course, if you notice any rough spots or it starts feeling uncomfortable, that's when I'd recommend getting it checked out or replaced.
Funny story: I once tried cleaning mine with baking soda paste after reading about it online—ended up tasting salty for days afterward no matter how much I rinsed it! Lesson learned: stick to vinegar or denture tablets.
Anyway, slight discoloration is totally normal and nothing to stress about. Sounds like you're doing everything right already.
Mine usually lasts around 2-3 years, but I think it depends a lot on how intense your grinding is. I've noticed mine gets cloudy pretty quickly too, even though I clean it regularly. Tried the vinegar soak method myself—works great, but the smell takes some getting used to, haha. Has anyone found a good way to keep their mouthguard from developing that weird taste after cleaning?
Honestly, vinegar works but the smell and taste can linger, making things a bit unpleasant. I'd suggest trying denture cleaning tablets—they're specifically made to remove odors and residue without leaving behind weird tastes. Just soak your mouthguard in warm water with a tablet for about 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Also, make sure you're storing it in a ventilated container; trapped moisture can cause that funky taste to return pretty quickly... learned that the hard way myself.
"trapped moisture can cause that funky taste to return pretty quickly... learned that the hard way myself."
Yeah, totally agree about the moisture thing—my mouthguard got pretty gross when I forgot to let it dry properly. I haven't tried denture tablets yet (a bit nervous about chemicals, honestly), but I've been using a gentle toothpaste and soft brush, and that seems to help. Mine usually lasts around a year, but I replace it earlier if it starts looking sketchy or tasting weird. Better safe than sorry, right?
I've actually had better luck with denture tablets than toothpaste—less abrasive, imo. Toothpaste made mine cloudy after a while. Tablets seem sketchy at first, but they're pretty mild...no weird taste or anything. Worth a shot maybe?
