Retainers need regular care—just like your teeth! At the beginning of your retention phase (for the first 6 months), you’ll be wearing your retainer 24/7 to ensure that your smile doesn’t revert back to its original pre-treatment position.
When you’re wearing your retainer every day, it’s important that you clean it every day too. After all, there are over 6 billion bacteria in your mouth at any given time… yikes!
Here’s what you can do to minimize bacteria in your mouth and retainer to ensure long lasting results:
How to Clean Essix Retainers and Hawley Acrylic Retainers
We advise that you clean your retainer with mild dish soap and lukewarm water every time you brush your teeth (2 to 3 times a day). You can soak your retainer in RetainerBrite solution once or twice a week too!
To keep your retainer free of plaque and bacteria, clean your retainer as soon as you take it out of your mouth. It’s easiest to remove plaque on a retainer while it’s still soft; hardened plaque can be difficult to remove!
Gently brush your retainer with a soft toothbrush (separate from the one for your teeth) and mild dish soap and lukewarm water after every meal. You want to keep your retainer as fresh as possible throughout the day and night.
How to clean retainers with vinegar
Vinegar is one of the best retainer cleaners because it’s safe, non-abrasive, and you likely already have some in your kitchen cupboard.
Grab a small bowl big enough to submerge the retainer. Add equal parts lukewarm water and white vinegar. (It’s important that you don’t use hot water; this can warp and damage your retainer.)
Place your retainer in the bowl and let it soak for around 20 minutes. Take it out and use a soft-bristle brush to gently brush the retainer. This will help to remove any hardened plaque or debris.
Rinse your retainer with lukewarm water, dry it off and place it back in a clean retainer case or back in your mouth. If you notice any plaque remaining, or your retainer smells funky, you can repeat this process!
How to disinfect a retainer
The vinegar cleaning process above is a great way to clean and disinfect a retainer, but you can also use a non-abrasive, antibacterial soap.
Don’t use mouthwash or any alcohol-based solutions to clean your retainer. Alcohol can dry out your retainer and cause it to crack or become discolored.
Use a tiny amount of soap with lukewarm water to gently scrub your retainer with a soft toothbrush.
A lot of people wonder whether you can use a denture cleaner for retainers too; the answer is, yes! It’s perfectly safe to soak a dirty retainer in a denture cleaner for about 10 minutes.
You can use a brand like RetainerBrite made specifically for your retainer! Rinse your retainer first before letting it soak in the denture/retainer cleaner. When you take it out, give your retainer a gentle rinsing and scrub with a soft toothbrush.
How often should you clean your retainer?
You should be giving your retainer a quick clean twice a day, every day. Try to soak your retainer in a disinfecting solution (like vinegar or RetainerBrite) at least once a week.
Using polident for retainers
Polident, similar to RetainerBrite, is a safe, clear plastic retainer cleaner that is gentle on acrylic. It kills 99.9% of all odor-causing bacteria and is easy to use.
Dissolve one Polident tablet in lukewarm. Let it soak for about 10 minutes, or as long as the instructions advise, then gently brush the retainer with a soft-bristled brush.
Rinse the retainer under running water for about a minute before re-inserting it into your mouth, or let it air dry before storing it in your case!
Don’t forget to clean your retainer case too. The last thing you want to do is place a clean retainer back in a dirty case. This defeats the purpose of cleaning your retainer, doesn’t it?
You can use any of the above solutions for your retainer case, or use an antibacterial soap with lukewarm water to scrub the case.
The Bottom Line
If you commit to cleaning your retainer everyday, you shouldn’t have to worry about it becoming discolored, smelly or bacteria-ridden. When you’re entering the retention phase of your orthodontic treatment, Dr. Senties will tell you everything you need to know about keeping your retainer in its best condition!
Still have questions about how to take care of retainers?
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions! We love to hear from you. We’re here to guide you through your treatment process, from your very first visit, to your last appointment.
If you’re looking for a top orthodontist in San Antonio, TX, we’d love to meet you! Request a complimentary exam for you or your child today.
