"Tablets seem sketchy at first, but they're pretty mild...no weird taste or anything."
Interesting, hadn't considered denture tablets before. I've been using toothpaste too, and yeah, mine got cloudy pretty fast—thought it was just normal wear. How long have you been using the tablets? Do you notice any difference in how long your mouthguard lasts overall? Mine usually starts feeling worn after about a year, wondering if switching cleaning methods might extend that a bit...
I've been using denture tablets for about six months now, and honestly, it does seem to help with the cloudiness issue. Before that, I was just rinsing mine with water and occasionally using toothpaste, and it got pretty gross pretty fast. Can't say for sure if it's extending the lifespan yet—mine usually lasts around a year too—but it definitely feels fresher and cleaner overall. Worth giving it a shot, at least for the comfort factor alone...
I've been using denture tablets too, and honestly, they're a game-changer. Before that, I tried soaking mine in mouthwash—figured it'd do the trick—but it just ended up tasting weird and didn't help much with cloudiness. Denture tablets are cheap enough that even my tight budget doesn't complain, and they definitely make the guard feel cleaner. Can't promise it'll last longer, but at least it won't feel gross when you pop it in your mouth every night...
Mine usually lasts about a year and a half before it starts looking rough and feeling less snug. Tried the mouthwash thing too—total fail, haha. Denture tablets sound smart though, might give that a go. Honestly, anything beats the weird minty-plastic taste combo I had going for a while... Glad to hear they're budget-friendly too, my wallet appreciates that.
Mine usually makes it just past the one-year mark, but honestly, by then it's looking pretty sad and chewed up. I totally get what you mean about the minty-plastic taste combo—tried soaking mine in mouthwash once thinking it'd freshen things up... nope, just made it taste like weirdly medicinal plastic, haha. Denture tablets sound interesting though; my grandma swears by them for her dentures, says they're gentle but effective, so maybe they'd be good for mouthguards too?
I did try using baking soda once after reading some random tip online. It worked okay-ish at first, but after a while it left this gritty residue that was kind of unpleasant. Still better than the mouthwash disaster, but not exactly ideal.
One thing I've noticed too is that the lifespan seems to depend a lot on the type of mouthguard. My dentist-made one lasted noticeably longer than the store-bought boil-and-bite ones, but it was also way pricier. I'm torn between splurging again or sticking with the cheaper replacements more frequently. Have you noticed any difference in durability between dentist-made and over-the-counter guards? Curious if it's just me or if others have had similar experiences.
Either way, glad to hear I'm not alone in trying random home remedies to keep these things fresh and comfy... the struggle is real, haha.
