Mouthguards can be made of acrylic (type of plastic), acetate, vinyl, some kind of rubber, a hybrid of more than one material or metal, such as chromium cobalt.

Better guards are often made of a laminate of two materials – hard material on the outside and soft on the inside, to ensure both durability and comfort.

One of the proprietary laminates is Ethel Vinyl Acetate. The quality of the material will make your guard more durable and resistant to chewing pressure.

If your mouthguard is designed to be boiled before being fitted to your mouth, make sure that it can be heated repeatedly without falling apart, otherwise, it will not last long.

Your mouth guard needs to be thoroughly cleaned and dried after use to prevent bacterial growth. As soon as you take it out of your mouth, rinse it with cool water and brush it with your toothbrush and toothpaste.

Once a week soak it for a few hours in a mix of water and a mouth guard cleaner such as Ortho Clean or a denture cleaner such as Efferdent. Cleaners will not only remove any plaque and bacteria but will make your guard smell nice.

Avoid makeshift cleaners such as vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or similar, as their odor will penetrate the plastic and will linger for a long time. Rinse and dry your guard and keep it in its own ventilated box and make sure it is stored away from any heat source.

Heat might make it lose its shape.