RETAINERS
Special care needs to be taken to keep your retainer clean. However, there are questions on how to properly clean and care for your retainer. Below are some Do's and Dont's with your retainer.
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Dont:
- Use toothpaste on your retainer. The ingredients in toothpaste, which are designed to polish the hard enamel of your teeth, are too abrasive for the soft plastic of oral appliances. This can cause scratches to your retainer.
- Boil or Bleach can break down the materials in the retainer and cause it to break or distort its form. Even letting it sit in hot water can disform the retainer causing it to be unwearable.
- Leaving it on the nightstand or anywhere else for that matter. A hard retainer case will be provided for you to store your retainer in. Dogs love retainers and will chew on them, so be sure to leave them high off the ground.
Do:
- Use liquid dish soap, a mild detergent or hand soap to clean your retainer. While your at it, get a brush specifically for the retainer and brush it with the soap mixture to keep it clean.
- Put a small towel at the bottom of your sink. The retainer may become slippery when it is being cleaned and may fall out of your grasp. No need to loose the retainer down the drain!
- Consider investing in an ultrasonic cleaner. These inexpensive countertop devices are an excellent way to get the tiny ridges and crevices of your retainer really clean.
Make sure you are wearing your retainer as instructed by the orthodontist. Clean it everyday and keep it in your retainer case provided. If it is lost or broken, call right away to have a new one made so your teeth dont move out of alignment.
(719)550-0222
