Development of mouthguard cleaning solution

Abstract Objectives: Although mouthguard (MG) use has increased in recent years, few methods for cleaning MGs after have been proposed—washing in water or using an artificial denture cleaner have typically been recommended. To fill this gap, we developed a cleaning solution designed exclusively for sanitizing MGs in order to facilitate long-term MG use. Methods: The cleaning solution included 0.05% cetylpyridinium chloride as a disinfectant. Microbial samples were collected from the surface of 10 MGs and the numbers of bacteria before and after sanitization were recorded following 48 h culture. The bactericidal effect of the cleaning solution, which was considered to reflect its sanitization effect, was then calculated. In addition, we immersed MGs in the cleaning solution to examine material degradation by aerosol and analyzed the MGs for deformation, tensile strength, hydrophilicity and abrasion. Results: In the Brain Heart Infusion Ager and Mitis-Sslivarius Ager culture plates, the cleaning solution sanitized more than 99% of bacteria. Furthermore, no significant deformation or alteration in tensile strength, hydrophilic nature, or abrasion of the MGs was observed 3, 7, and 15 days after the immersion test. Conclusions: A previously unavailable cleaning solution developed exclusively for MG use was shown to be highly effective not only for sanitizing dental bacteria but also Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with adequate cleansing ability and pleasant smell. This new cleaning solution should be used to sanitize MGs and facilitate long-term MG use.