infection

Mouthguards help prevent injury to the mouth, teeth, lips, cheeks and tongue, but they may also increase the number and intensity of mouth cuts and abrasions, thus exposing an athlete to an increased chance of infection due to the bacteria, yeast, and fungi that they routinely collect.  Experts recommend that mouthguards be sanitized daily and replaced after 14 days or when they develop sharp or jagged edges, whichever occurs first.