College basketball season was underway in New York when one player realized something was wrong. He had developed an unusual pattern on his gums, cheeks and tongue.  The infection was identified as oral thrush, a yeast infection of the lining in the mouth and tongue. 

“We were quickly able to determine it came from the mouth guard, as the thrush left specific lines along the gums and cheek, and only occurred on the tongue where it had touched the mouth guard”, said Aimee, the college’s athletic trainer.

Oral thrush can be painful, cause difficulty swallowing, burning, redness and sores that irritate and bleed easily.

The athlete was given a new mouth guard and begun treatment for the thrush, but his condition was not getting better. Finally, when asked about storing and cleaning his mouth guard he revealed an extremely unsanitary habit. Each day after practice he removed his mouth guard and put it IN his shoe until next practice. The warm sweaty shoe was the perfect breeding ground for fungus.

Every time he put his mouth guard in he was allowing fungus and germs access to his body.  He immediately changed his routine and the issue was then resolved.

Proper mouth guard care can help prevent disease and infection.

ATHLETES SHOULD:

-       Clean mouth guards as frequently as possible (before, during, and after use at minimum)

-       Rinse mouth guard if dropped

-       Rinse mouth guard after touching with hands or gloves

-       Clean with an antimicrobial solution, such as Defense Sport Mouthguard Rinse

-       Store mouth guards in a well ventilated case                      

-       Avoid chewing on mouth guards

SHOULD NOT:

-       Store mouth guard with dirty sweaty gear

-       Handle or wear someone else’s mouth guard, or share your own

-       Leave mouth guard in direct sunlight or in a closed vehicle

Learn more about health risks of contaminated mouth guards HERE!