How To Store Retainers When Not In Use

An important function of any dental care program is proper cleaning, and this is especially true for retainers. A dirty retainer tin can harbor bacteria, which tin cause bad breath in your mouth. Only caring for your retainer goes far beyond just keeping information technology clean. You'll likewise need to protect your servant from damage and store information technology properly when yous're not wearing it or cleaning information technology. Fixed/permanent retainers, which are not removable, crave even more than effort to care for, but information technology can be adequately easy once yous get used to it. Retainers are very expensive to replace, so it's important to take good care of your dental equipment and always use information technology equally directed by your orthodontist.

1. ane

   Vesture the retainer as instructed past your orthodontist. Depending on the condition your teeth are in, you may be instructed to clothing your servant at all times, except during times when the retainer might be damaged.^[1] If y'all've been wearing your retainer for a while, your orthodontist might allow you to switch to a part-time footing. Ever follow the instructions your orthodontist gives you, and enquire him/her if yous have any questions.

   • Retainers mostly need to be worn until your jawbone and gums stabilize around your teeth, which should now be aligned, and the roots of your teeth accept reached the desired position. This takes fourth dimension, and the exact length of fourth dimension will need to be determined past your orthodontist.
   • Orthodontists will mostly have patients clothing their retainers total time (24 hours a twenty-four hour period) for the same length of fourth dimension that the patient wore braces.
   • After wearing the retainer full time for an initial period of time, your orthodontist may allow you to switch to but wearing it at night.

2. 2

   Remove your retainer before eating. Eating food with a removable retainer in your mouth can damage the servant and will most certainly cause food to get stuck in your hardware. You should always have your retainer out before eating, and make sure you shop it properly inside your retainer instance.

3. 3

   Switch your retainer for a protective mouthguard during sports. Any time in that location'due south a risk of your retainer being damaged or lost, y'all should take it out of your mouth. Make sure you store it safely in its example once it'due south out of your mouth, and exist careful so you practise non misplace your case or retainer.

   • Wearing a protective mouthguard during sports is important, whether you wearable a retainer or not.
   • Y'all will not be able to properly fit a protective mouth guard over your retainer, and physical contact (even through the mouth guard) could damage your retainer and seriously injure your rima oris.
   • If possible, avoid contact sports while receiving orthodontic treatment. Your entire bone construction is weaken during this time and whatsoever force tin have a negative bear on and may cause irreversible damage.
   • Some orthodontists recommend taking your retainer out when you become pond. If the retainer somehow slips out of your rima oris, it could easily be lost in the water.

4. 4

   Store your retainer properly. Any fourth dimension yous take your retainer out of your oral fissure, whether for eating, sports, or cleaning your gear, y'all should always shop it properly. This will help ensure that your retainer is not lost or damaged.

   • Never leave your retainer wrapped in a napkin, tissue, or paper towel. This tin be easily mistaken for trash and thrown away by accident.
   • Always bear your retainer instance with y'all wherever yous get if you lot're wearing the retainer full time. Store your servant in the case any time you need to remove it.^[2]
   • Do not leave your retainer in straight sunlight, including a parked machine, equally the rut may melt or warp the plastic. Never get out a servant near a stove or heater for the aforementioned reasons.^{[3] [4]}
   • Avert leaving your retainer lying around exterior the instance, fifty-fifty at home. It could get lost, or (if you lot take pets) your dog will probable try to chew on it — they are attracted to the smell of the retainer.

1. 1

   Brush your retainer. You can and should castor your retainer every day, just as you brush your teeth. In fact, when you brush your teeth might be the platonic fourth dimension to also castor your retainer. This will assist keep your retainer make clean and your breath smelling fresh.^{[5] [6]}

   • Remove your retainer from your rima oris.
   • Rinse it under cool water from the faucet.
   • Add a pea-sized drop of toothpaste to your toothbrush and gently scrub away the built-upward plaque and tartar.
   • Rinse the servant thoroughly, so either pop information technology back in your mouth, let it soak, or place it in your case.

2. 2

   Soak your retainer to proceed it clean. In addition to brushing your retainer, it's more often than not a adept idea to soak your servant in some blazon of safety cleaner. Many orthodontists recommend using mouthwash or denture-cleaning tablets for soaking retainers; all the same, some orthodontists advise confronting these cleaning agents, as they contain chemicals similar persulfate and booze that can damage your retainer and cause problems in your rima oris.^[vii]

   • A prophylactic alternative to harsh cleaning agents is to use blistering soda. Merely mix two teaspoons into a small bowl of fresh, cool water and soak your servant in that mixture.^[eight]
   • Avoid using vinegar, as it can corrode your wires and affect the plastic.^[9] You should besides avoid bleach, as it may get absorbed in the porous plastic of your retainer.

3. 3

   Take steps to avoid letting your retainer dry out. You may not realize it, but your retainer tin can dry very easily. It'southward made to exist in your mouth, which is a consistently wet environment. Whenever you're not wearing it, your retainer should be soaking in water and then that the plastic does non go damaged and stale out.^[10]

   • Utilise a small basin or loving cup full of h2o to soak your servant when yous're non wearing it.
   • Distilled h2o works all-time, every bit in that location will not exist any harsh chemicals or pH imbalances to damage your retainer.
   • Ever use absurd or room-temperature water. Hot h2o tin can damage the plastic on your retainer, and should always be avoided.

1. ane

   Follow your orthodontist'southward recommendations. Unlike a removable retainer, a permanent/fixed retainer tin can't exist removed by normal means (simply an orthodontist can accept it out); however, you lot should carefully follow any instructions your orthodontist gives y'all for cleaning and caring for your stock-still retainer. You will most likely receive special cleaning instructions, as well as details on what foods you lot can and can't eat.

   • Most fixed retainers are worn full time for approximately five years; all the same, some may be kept on for life, depending on your teeth and your orthodontist's recommendations.^[eleven]
   • Follow whatsoever instructions your orthodontist gives you, and let him know well-nigh whatever bug you may be having.

2. 2

   Avert foods that might damage your retainer. Because fixed retainers are bonded to your teeth, there are sure nutrient restrictions you'll need to follow in club to avoid damaging your retainer. These restrictions are generally the same as those applied to braces.

   • Avoid hard/crunchy foods, as these may cause your retainer to pause.
   • Practise not eat caramel, hard candy, or gum. These foods can become stuck to your wires and crusade damage.
   • Cutting downward on sweets and soda in general, every bit sugary foods/drinks can increment the chances of molar decay.
   • Try to avoid or reduce your consumption of high-acidity foods/drinks, including citrus and soda.

3. 3

   Utilize floss threaders to floss around your teeth and retainer. Yous volition need to floss your teeth with floss threaders to properly get between the teeth and higher up/below the retainer wire.^[12] A floss threader is substantially a stiff thread made of nylon with a small loop at the end. You lot'll apply this threader to feed regular dental floss between your teeth and around your wires.

   • Start with approximately xviii inches of regular waxed dental floss.
   • Slip one terminate of the dental floss through the floss threader and pull it until the threader is roughly in the middle of the floss.
   • Concord the threader up close against your teeth in the spot you're nigh to floss. Aim the threader slightly downward for your bottom teeth and slightly upward for your top teeth.
   • Accomplish into your mouth and carefully pull the threader through, then use the floss strand to floss like normal around your gums and under your servant wire.
   • Take good care when cleaning in betwixt teeth and try not to use hard toothpicks, as you may damage the stock-still retainer.

4. 4

   Brush your teeth around the fixed servant. Brushing your teeth with a fixed servant can be a bit tricky, since you can't just take the retainer out to brush like you lot can with a removable retainer; however, information technology's very similar to brushing your teeth with braces, which y'all may already have experience with.^[xiii]

   • Use a soft-bristle toothbrush so you don't damage the hardware. Brand sure yous brush for a full 2 minutes, using up and downwardly motions, just similar you lot normally would.
   • Brush the backs and chewing surfaces of teeth every bit normal. While brushing the fronts of teeth, advisedly brush along the gums, and so above/below the retainer wire.
   • Rinse your oral cavity out thoroughly. Check your teeth in the mirror to make sure yous didn't miss any food debris or plaque, and if y'all meet anything remaining, start the process over again.
   • Y'all can also use a proxabrush, which is shaped like a Christmas tree. These brushes are fabricated for brushing betwixt and around braces and retainer wires, which may make information technology easier to continue your teeth clean. Don't be too aggressive with these brushes, as you lot may crusade the fixed servant to bend or come off.

Add New Question

• Question

  What'south the all-time fashion to clean my servant?

  

  Dr. Alina Lane is a Dentist who runs All Smiles Dentistry, a general practice dental part based in New York City. Later on completing a DDS at the University of Maryland, Dr. Lane completed a year-long clerkship in Implantology at the Academy of Maryland, where she focused on the advanced restoration of dental implants. She connected her avant-garde didactics by completing a General Practice Residency at Woodhull Medical Middle, an affiliate of the NYU School of Medicine. She received the Woodhull Medical Center Resident of the Year 2012-2013.

  

  Lath Certified Dentist

  Expert Answer

  Nosotros recommend brushing your plastic servant when y'all brush your teeth. This will help to mechanically remove whatsoever plaque bacteria build-up or stains. You practice not desire to put toothpaste on the brush because the annoying quality of the toothpaste tin scratch the plastic over fourth dimension. Brushing while property it under cool or warm water is simply fine! Don't forget to brush all surfaces of the retainer!

• Question

  How do I forestall my retainer from getting damaged?

  

  Dr. Alina Lane is a Dentist who runs All Smiles Dentistry, a general exercise dental role based in New York City. After completing a DDS at the University of Maryland, Dr. Lane completed a year-long clerkship in Implantology at the University of Maryland, where she focused on the advanced restoration of dental implants. She connected her advanced education by completing a General Do Residency at Woodhull Medical Centre, an affiliate of the NYU Schoolhouse of Medicine. She received the Woodhull Medical Middle Resident of the Year 2012-2013.

  

  Board Certified Dentist

  Good Answer

  The retainer should be stored in a dry out and clean case to protect it. You do non desire to soak information technology in any solutions overnight because that tin can weaken the plastic. You lot besides want to keep information technology away from rut since heat will warp the fabric. (Don't put information technology in your dishwasher or boiling water!)

• Question

  I accidentally threw my retainer in hot oil and it melted. Retainers are very expensive I cannot afford a new one — what should I do?

  

  Dr. Macau is an oral surgeon, periodontist, and aesthetician at Favero Dental Clinic in London. He received his DDS from Carol Davila University of Medicine in 2015.

  

  Doctor of Dental Surgery

  Practiced Reply

  You can try explaining this to your dentist and find a proper solution together. Your dentist may take another impression to reproduce the actual clinical case so send it to a dental technician along with the melted retainer and try fixing it at a lower price. Usually dental technicians have all the resources available and are able to repair any potential damages.

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• Talk to your orthodontist for tips and instructions, and let your orthodontist know if you take any questions or concerns.

• Whatsoever time your retainer is not being worn, it should be in its case or soaking in whatsoever dental cleaning product you lot choose to employ.

• Don't put it in your pocket, as you may sit down on it and crack it. E'er employ the case your orthodontist gives yous.

• Never wrap your servant in a tissue, napkin or paper towel. Information technology will stick to your retainer and make it tricky to clean, and you may throw it out by accident if you remember it's simply a muddy napkin.

Things Y'all'll Need

• Servant
• Retainer instance
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Denture tablets (optional)
• Baking soda (optional)
• Denture soaking cup
• Modest driblet of dish lather

About this article

Article Summary X

An like shooting fish in a barrel way to take intendance of your retainer is to brush it every solar day, just as y'all would your teeth. Whenever you brush your teeth, take some fourth dimension to use a pea-sized drop of toothpaste to scrub away any built-upwards plaque and tartar on your retainer. Another style to clean your servant is to soak it in a bowl of fresh h2o mixed with two teaspoons of baking soda. While vinegar and bleach can be powerful cleaning agents, don't use either of them on your retainer because they can corrode the wire or make you sick past absorbing into the plastic. For more than aid from our Dental co-author, like how to take intendance of a permanent servant, whorl downwardly!

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