How to Boil a Mouth Piece
The importance of wearing a mouthpiece while playing sports cannot be overstated. The American Dental Association strongly promotes the use of a properly fit mouth guard in order to reduce sports-related injuries to the jaw, teeth and soft tissues, such as gums, tongue and inner cheeks. The ADA announced that a 2007 study had found that those who did not wear mouth pieces were almost two times more likely to incur an injury to their hard or soft tissues. (Reference 1) One third of all dental injuries treated are sports related. (Reference 2)
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Things You'll Need
- Boil and bite plastic mouthpiece
- Pan of boiling water
- Cup of cold water
- Sharp scissors or razor blade
Instructions
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Instructions
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1
Bring a pan of water to a boil.
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2
Dip the mouthpiece into the water, immersing it for 30 seconds.
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3
Remove the mouthpiece.
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4
Dip the mouthpiece into cold water for no more than one second.
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5
Place the mouthpiece into your mouth quickly, making sure the front and back teeth are inside the tooth trough.
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6
Using your fingers, mold the mouthpiece around the front teeth, with your thumbs pushing it up against your back teeth.
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7
Bite down lightly on the back teeth to form the impressions. (Don't bite so hard you puncture the material.)
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8
Dip the mouthpiece back into the boiling water for two seconds.
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9
Shake the water off and place the piece over the teeth, into the impressions.
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10
Bite down and quickly, with your fingers, mold the front of the mouthpiece under your lip and inside your cheeks.
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11
Dip the mouthpiece into the cold water for a few seconds to set the impressions.
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12
Trim any excess, irritating material with scissors or a razor.
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1
Tips & Warnings
There are three different types of mouthpieces to choose from: custom orthodontic appliances (recommended for those with braces); preformed or stock (not recommended, as they are not molded and tend to slip); and the boil and bites, which are readily available and easy to use.
When trimming the mouthpiece, do not cut too much away, as this will limit the protective ability of the guard.
Once the mouthpiece shows signs of wear (holes, or teeth troughs that have become mishapened or have sharp, protruding edges), it should be replaced.
