Nightguard Cleaning – is It Ideal to Use a Denture Cleaner?

I just picked up my custom nightguard from my dentist's office, and was told that I should use a denture cleanser after I take it off in the morning, to prevent it from acquiring my morning breath. I was told NOT to use toothpaste, because it's too abrasive. I wish I'd asked what the material the nightguard is made of, but it's a very hard plastic and I'm supposed to run it under warm water to soften it up before putting it in my teeth.

I just got home, and I thought I'd look up the best denture cleaning product before I go out and get something. However, I'm seeing reports of health risks (http://www.youhavealawyer.com/blog/2008/02/26/denture-cleanser-problems/). I mistakenly clicked on an article about denture adhesive, and found that the adhesives tend to contain a lot of Zinc, and can cause Zinc toxicity. It may be irrelevant, but I am wondering if it might apply to denture cleaners too.

Does anybody know of a safe product to use, hopefully one that won't completely empty my wallet?

A very safe, disinfecting and cost effective route would be to use white distilled vinegar. The vinegar will help disinfect your mouthguard and it can be stored in the solution all night. Another option of you don't like the pickle smell would be to use mouthwash. You can dilute both the vinegar and mouthwash 50/50 water and still keep the cleaning power. You can safely use the same solution for the whole week. Just make sure to rinse your mouthguard off well before placing it in the solution. I work in a dental office where we have a lot of denture cases and that is what we recommend to our patients.