Getting retainers is often the happiest moment for an orthodontic patient. After years of braces, your teeth will soon be “free.” But it’s not entirely carefree. He must wear his retainers exactly as directed by his orthodontist or his teeth could go back to the way they were before braces. And since retainers cost several hundred dollars to replace, he wants to keep them clean, odor-free, and safe from breaking!

Why do I need to wear retainers?
After the braces are removed, the periodontal ligaments that hold the teeth in place are still loose from the pressure of the braces. It typically takes 3-9 months for the periodontal ligaments to tighten and “remember” the new positions of the straightened teeth. That’s why it’s so important that you wear your retainer exactly the way your orthodontist recommends. You’ve just spent years in braces – this final step is so important to keeping your smile as beautiful as it was the day your braces came off!

Most orthodontists tell their patients to wear their retainers 24/7 for the first few months. You can gradually switch to wearing your retainers only at night. And after a year or more, you may be able to “get away with” using them several nights a week. But if you want your teeth to stay in their new positions, you can’t stop wearing your retainer entirely. You will need to wear it at least several nights a week for the rest of your life to keep your teeth in their correct positions. Teeth are dynamic and respond to the pressures of daily life (the position of your tongue, the way you bite and chew, etc.). Over time, those pressures will move the teeth. Wearing your retainers helps ensure that your teeth stay “locked” where they were the day your braces were removed.

How to clean retainers
One of the biggest challenges in wearing retainers (and even Invisalign-type aligner trays) is keeping your retainers and aligners clean. Bacteria accumulate on retainers and aligners in the same way that they accumulate on teeth. If you don’t keep your aligners clean, you’ll soon notice that they smell bad and have an unsightly layer of sticky white film on them. If you don’t clean your retainers or aligners properly, the film will harden and be nearly impossible to remove. This is true for all types of retainers (Hawley plastic and wire retainers, clear Essix retainers, aligner trays, snoring and bruxism devices, etc.).

How can you keep your retainers clean and odor free? There are several ways.

• Always rinse your retainers with warm water after removing them from your mouth. Before placing your retainer in a retainer case, give it a quick rinse. This will kill some of the bacteria on the surface. Do not use an antibacterial hand wipe on your retainer. The chemicals in antibacterial hand wipes can be toxic if they get into your mouth!
• The easiest method of cleaning retainers is the good old fashioned toothbrush. If you have a plastic and wire Hawley retainer, you can brush it with toothpaste on a soft toothbrush. However, this method is not recommended for clear aligner trays such as Invisalign or clear Essix retainers (which look like aligner trays). Toothpaste can scratch clear plastic, and over time, your retainers will no longer be “invisible.”
• Some people recommend soaking retainers in a weak solution of hydrogen peroxide diluted with water, or even an alcohol-based mouthwash. This helps kill germs, but it doesn’t fix white dirt buildup. Also, these harsh chemicals can damage the surface of the plastic over time and turn it yellow.
• Some people use denture cleaning tablets to clean their retainers or aligners. This will seem to work at first, but over time the harsh chemicals in denture tablets will cause your retainer to turn yellow. This is because denture tablets are strongly formulated to clean false teeth, not retainers.

This is why companies that make retainers have come out with special cleaning products. These products are formulated to kill germs and remove white buildup without harming the plastic of your retainers. Two products work very well for this purpose: SonicBrite and Retainer Brite. Both products can be found on the DentaKit website.

SonicBrite makes a retainer cleaning kit that includes cleaning powder and a battery-operated portable sonic bath. It’s easy to use: simply place some warm water in the sonic bath, drop in a small scoop of SonicBrite powder, and turn the unit on. The unit’s vibrations help loosen debris from the retainer or aligner tray, and the powder kills more than 99% of bacteria. After 15 minutes, the unit turns itself off. Simply remove your retainer, rinse it under cold water, and you’re good to go! If your retainer hasn’t been cleaned properly in a long time and contains a lot of white buildup, two cycles in the SonicBrite kit will usually remove all residue.

Another product that most dentists recommend is Retainer Brite. This product comes in tablets (similar to denture cleaning tablets) but is gentle, specifically for retainers. Unlike denture cleaning tablets, Reatiner Brite will not turn your retainers or aligners yellow. To use Retainer Brite, simply fill a cup with warm water, drop in a Retainer Brite tablet, and in about 10 minutes your retainers will be clean and odor free. There’s also a battery-operated portable sonic cleaner you can optionally purchase for use with the Retainer Brite, which vibrates and helps loosen debris from your retainer or alignment pan.

What product is better? It depends on your needs. If your retainer or aligner tray has a lot of white buildup, SonicBrite powder will do a better job of removing it. This is a good option for people who have not properly cleaned their retainers and need to remove dirt buildup and keep it away. However, if your retainer is already fairly clean, you can use Retainer Brite tablets daily to keep it fresh. Both cost about the same amount of money (about $30 for a supply that lasts from several months to a year). Some people buy both products and use SonicBrite for deep cleaning and Retainer Brite for daily use. Both SonicBrite and Retainer Brite have been endorsed and used by dentists and orthodontists around the world.

Keeping your retainers secure
“I lost my retainer!” These are terrible words that you will hopefully never say. It can take 2-3 weeks to make a new retainer, and most orthodontists charge $100-$250 or more to make a new set of retainers. This is because most retainers are made in outside labs, so the orthodontist must send the mold of your mouth to the lab to fabricate a new set of custom retainers. Obviously, he wants to keep his retainers safe and accounted for at all times. The best way to do this is with a good holding case. Your orthodontist will probably give you a retainer case when you receive your retainers. But if you want more than one case, or if you want a case in a specific color or size, the DentaKit web store offers a wide selection of all types of retainer cases, both hard and soft.

The most common way to lose retainers is by wrapping them in napkins. You can’t see the retainer inside the napkin, you forget about it, and soon the napkin is thrown away. Unless you want to spend hours rummaging through the trash, it’s best to put your retainer in a proper case – never use a napkin!

Should you get a hard case or a soft case? That depends on where you keep your retainer. If you are No If you are going to keep your retainer in a place where it will potentially “crush”, then you may want to opt for a soft case. But if you tend to put your retainer in your pocket, or in a backpack where it can get buried under heavy books, it’s best to get a hard case to protect your retainer from breaking. Some retention cases include a hole or loop for attaching to a key ring clip or lanyard, keeping them within easy reach. Boys and men may want a dark-colored holding case, but keep in mind that bright colors are easier to find at the bottom of a backpack, briefcase, or purse.

Be sure to label your retention box so it will be returned to you if it is lost. If your retention case does not come with an identification tag, use an address label or write your name and phone number inside the retention case with a permanent marker.