Generally speaking, the most common over-the-counter mouthguards are formed through a method called “boil and bite”. This means that the mouthguard must be placed in boiling water for a certain amount of time, specified by the instructions included with the mouthguard, in order for the plastic to become very soft and pliable.
After being heated sufficiently, the mouthguard is then taken out of the water and carefully placed in the mouth, over the teeth, and gently bitten down on so that the soft plastic moulds to the shape of the wearer’s teeth. The primary downside to these is that the plastic is thinner, which means that extra precaution should be taken to ensure that when moulding the mouthguard to the teeth, the mouthguard is not bitten through.
After the mouthguard has cooled and is properly formed to your teeth, you can then carefully make any adjustments to the mouthguard with a sharp and sturdy pair of scissors or a razor blade. Over-the-counter mouthguards are meant to be customizable, so if the mouthguard feels too long or is too high and aggravates the gums, it can be modified to suit your comfort level.
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