If you have spent hundreds of days and
dollars correcting your smile with braces, you had better be wearing
your retainer! After prolonged use, your retainer may begin to show
some signs of build-up that looks very similar to the tartar that
collects on unbrushed teeth. Worse still, this build-up may begin to
smell vaguely like rotting fruit, indicating some serious bacterial
action. The good news is that you do not need to choose between
proper hygiene and retainer use. For best results, review the
following tips on how to give your retainer a proper home cleaning.
What you will need:
- A toothbrush. Choose a spare manual brush for this task. A denture brush is also suitable.
- White vinegar. You can buy this food-grade distilled vinegar in any local market. Be sure that the variety you choose is rated at a mild acidity of roughly 5%.
- Small bowl and warm water. It is important not to use boiling water, though you may be tempted in thinking it will have a greater cleaning and sterilization effect. Boiling water can damage your retainer.
How
to proceed:
First,
you combine equal parts warm water and white vinegar in a bowl. Soak
your retainer in this solution for 20 minutes. This soaking stage
allows the barnacled tartar to weaken and loosen.
Next, you should brush your retainer
with the toothbrush. Use small, circular strokes with slightly more
force than you would apply while brushing. This should remove the
majority of the calcified tartar.
Mix another solution of white vinegar
and warm water, and repeat the soaking process you undertook in the
first step. You have the option of extending the time frame of the
soak past 20 minutes, even leaving it in the solution overnight if
you desire.
Many patients wrongly believe that
soaking their retainer in an Efferdent cleaner will suffice, but a
manual debridement is required. In fact, some dentists caution
against Efferdent cleaners, which can dry out both the mouth and
retainer because they contain alcohol and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
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