After having orthodontic treatment to straighten your teeth, wearing retainers to keep the teeth perfectly aligned is worth it.
However, since your retainer will be in your mouth most of the time, bacteria can accumulate on it, causing plaque to build up, which can lead to dental issues like tooth decay and cavities.
This is why regularly cleaning your retainer is essential. But how do you clean your retainers?
This article will answer this question. We’ll discuss everything you need to know about cleaning retainers, including how often you should clean them, how to clean them, what to avoid when cleaning them, and more.
CAN I WASH MY RETAINER?
You should clean your teeth retainers regularly to prevent bacteria from accumulating on them and compromising your oral health. You can wash retainers with cold or warm water. You can also use several anti-bacterial solutions to give them intensive cleaning.
There are different retainer cleaning myths, such as:
- Cleaning your retainer will damage it.
- Retainers will remain clean if you brush your teeth regularly and remove them before eating.
You should not believe these myths as they are largely wrong. For example, even when you brush regularly and remove your retainer before eating, food debris and bacteria can still build up on it.
Also, you can clean your retainer without damaging it.
If you do not clean your retainer, the bacteria buildup can cause it to smell or taste bad, develop white spots or a layer of film, and look cloudy.
Even worse is that the plaque buildup on retainers can transfer to your teeth and cause tooth decay or cavities.
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HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CLEAN MY RETAINERS?
You should clean your retainers as often as you clean your mouth – which is daily. You should clean your retainers at least once a day to remove debris and bacteria.
In addition to the daily cleaning, you should deep-clean your retainer at least once a week. This is essential to kill “stubborn” bacteria and plaque that may defy your daily cleaning routine.
However, you must not wait for one week to give your retainer an intensive cleaning. Some signs may tell you that your retainer needs immediate deep cleaning. These signs include:
- The retainer smells bad.
- The retainer tastes bad.
- There is a layer of film on the retainer.
- The retainer looks cloudy.
- There are white spots on the retainer.
HOW DO I CLEAN MY RETAINERS?
How you clean your retainer will differ significantly depending on the retainer type. You can remove Hawley and clear plastic retainers from your teeth to clean them with water and retainer cleaners. But you floss permanent retainers to clean them as they are bonded to your teeth.
>HOW TO CLEAN HAWLEY RETAINERS
Hawley retainers are removable retainers that use a combination of plastic and thin metal wire – the plastic material rests on the roof of your mouth, and the wire extends across your teeth to hold the teeth in their aligned position.
Since you can remove Hawley retainers from your mouth, they’re relatively easier to clean. Some ways to clean your Hawley retainer include:
BRUSH YOUR RETAINER WITH COLD OR WARM WATER DAILY
When it’s time for your daily retainer cleaning, remove it from your mouth and wash it with cold or warm water. This washes off debris and bacteria on the retainer.
For better cleaning, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush the retainer gently.
This scrubs away plaque and other debris that may defy ordinary washing with water. You may add a mild dish soap or castile soap to the water when brushing.
Note: Washing the retainer should be done immediately after removing it from your mouth (when it is still wet). Debris becomes more difficult to wash off when it dries up on the retainer.
DEEP-CLEAN WITH BAKING SODA PASTE, VINEGAR SOLUTION, OR PRE-MADE RETAINER CLEANER
You can deep clean your retaining with these great cleaning solutions. Let’s discuss the process in detail.
USING BAKING SODA
A paste of water and baking soda is an effective way to clean your retainer daily. The baking soda paste removes plaques and kills bacteria and odours.
Mix 50-part water and 50-part baking soda to make a thick paste that can stick to the retainer. Apply the paste all over the retainer, wait a few minutes, then rinse it off.
USING RETAINER CLEANERS
You may also use an over-the-counter retainer cleaner (denture cleaner). Many manufacturers offer retainer cleaners as tablets. You simply drop the tablet in a small container with water and submerge the retainer in the water.
USING VINEGAR SOLUTION
You may also soak your retainer in vinegar solution at least once a week. Vinegar kills bacteria and removes odour and residue.
Mix a solution of 50% water and 50% white vinegar. Soak the retainer in the solution for about 20 minutes. Then remove it and rinse thoroughly with warm water.
You may use a soft toothbrush to gently scrub the retainer clean if it has a layer of film.
HOW TO CLEAN CLEAR PLASTIC RETAINERS
Clear plastic retainers (or Essix retainers) are made from transparent plastic and are moulded to fit your teeth snugly. An example is the custom-made MYMOFO SMILE retainer, which will reliably keep your teeth aligned to maintain your perfect smile.
Clear plastic retainers are also removable retainers. So, you clean a clear plastic retainer the same way you clean a Hawley retainer.
- Wash the retainer immediately after taking it out of your mouth.
- Brush the retainer under cool or warm water using a soft-bristled brush.
- For intensive cleaning, clean the retainer using baking soda paste, vinegar solution, or pre-made retainer cleaner.
Note: Clear plastic retainers are moulded to fit your teeth. So they have deep grooves, which make them a little trickier to clean (compared to Hawley teeth retainers).
When brushing the retainer or applying the baking soda paste, ensure you reach the deepest grooves and ridges on the retainer.
HOW TO CLEAN PERMANENT RETAINERS
A permanent retainer is bonded to your teeth, so you cannot remove it (but a dentist can remove it for you). You clean these retainers by brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing them at least once daily.
Flossing with a permanent retainer is tricky because the wire prevents the floss from reaching the bottom of the teeth.
However, you can floss when wearing a permanent retainer using these steps:
- Take a 6-inch piece of floss
- Use a floss threader to thread the floss between two of your teeth underneath your retainer.
- Once the floss is underneath your retainer, floss your teeth as you usually would (move it up and down, gently going below the gumline if possible).
- Pull the floss out and repeat the process for each tooth attached to your retainer.
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WHAT RETAINER CLEANING METHODS SHOULD I AVOID?
When cleaning your retainer, cleaning methods you should avoid include:
RINSING OR SOAKING WITH HOT WATER
Never use hot water on your retainer, thinking it will kill all bacteria. The soft plastic used in retainers cannot tolerate hot or boiling water. Hot water will deform your retainers.
Sadly, when your retainer loses its shape, it will move your teeth to a wrong alignment, undoing your orthodontic work.
BRUSHING WITH YOUR REGULAR TOOTHBRUSH
Tooth enamel is very hard and can withstand the hard bristles of toothbrushes. However, your retainer plastic is a very soft, delicate material.
Brushing your retainer with your regular toothbrush can gouge holes in the soft material, which will become breeding grounds for bacteria. If you must brush your retainer, use a very soft-bristled toothbrush.
CLEANING WITH DISINFECTANT WIPES
Never clean your retainers with the disinfectant wipes you use to clean counters and other surfaces.
These wipes consist of harsh chemicals. They may be strong enough to kill bacteria, but the chemicals can harm your teeth. They can also be too abrasive for the retainer, scratching or dulling the delicate plastic.
CLEANING WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
A mix of hydrogen peroxide and water is actually a good retainer cleaning solution, as it can kill bacteria and odour. In fact, some people recommend it for cleaning retainers.
However, there are good reasons to avoid hydrogen peroxide. It kills all bacteria (including good bacteria needed in the mouth), and prolonged exposure can damage oral soft and hard tissue.
CAN I USE ALCOHOL TO CLEAN MY RETAINER?
Alcohol is a dehydrating agent that will cause your retainer to dry out quickly and damage it. So, don’t use alcohol to clean your retainer, and never soak your retailer in alcohol.
You should keep your retainer moist because these dental appliances are made for a wet environment.
Alcohol will dry out your retainer, and when retainers dry out, they become brittle and can break. They can also deform slightly, causing it to shift your teeth out of alignment.
CAN I USE TOOTHPASTE TO CLEAN MY RETAINER?
Don’t brush your retainer with your regular toothpaste thinking the paste will clean the appliance as it does your teeth. Toothpaste can be too abrasive for your delicate retainers, so it’ll scratch or dull the retainer.
CAN I USE MOUTHWASH TO SOAK MY RETAINER?
A mouthwash is not a good retainer cleaner because it can stain or dry your retainer.
You may have noticed that your favourite mouthwash is colourful. Interestingly, the colour of the mouthwash can stain your retainer’s plastic, making the dental appliance less discreet.
Also, most mouthwashes contain alcohol and sodium lauryl sulphate, which dry out retainers and damage them.
However, if no other option is available, you may use a non-alcoholic mouthwash. Soak the retainer in it very briefly (2 – 3 minutes), then brush it well and rinse with cold water.
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TAKEAWAY: CLEAN YOUR RETAINER TO PROLONG ITS LIFESPAN AND PROTECT YOUR ORAL HEALTH
Since your retainer sits in your mouth, it can accumulate bacteria and plaque that cause dental problems like tooth decay and cavities.
Keeping your retainer clean not only prolongs its lifespan but also helps you maintain your oral health.
Avoid rinsing your retainer with hot water, brushing it with your regular toothbrush, or using alcohol, toothpaste, mouthwash, or harsh chemicals as retainer cleaners.
To get more insight into how long you should wear your retainer to safeguard your perfect smile, read this post: How long do retainers need to be worn? A detailed Overview.
