ProviderNW Calgary Orthodontist – Dr. Cory Liss – not only stresses the importance of wearing your orthodontic appliance, but also the need to keep it clean and germ-free. Just like your toothbrush, your orthodontic appliance gets a little gunky after a few days of wear, picking up pieces of food and harbouring bacteria. Without daily cleaning, your orthodontic retainer can become a health hazard – contributing to sore throats and inflamed oral tissue. Wondering how to keep your retainer squeaky clean? Here are a few tips that will eliminate bacteria, stains, and any lingering odours – and help keep your smile bright and your body healthy.
At Cory Liss Orthodontics, patients’ health and well-being are the foremost concern – so educating patients on the need to keep all orthodontic appliances clean is an important step in maintaining excellent oral health. If you’re thinking of running your appliance under hot water for a couple of seconds and then putting it back in your mouth – think again – in order to remove food remnants and bacteria, a little more effort is required.
- Step One: Get in the habit of brushing your retainer whenever you brush your teeth – using a different toothbrush with a little toothpaste and warm water.
- Step Two: From time to time, your orthodontic retainer will smell – to get rid of odours, soak your retainer in an anti-bacterial mouthwash and a little water. If you think Polident tabs are just for your Grandpa’s denture – far from it – breaking a tab into quarters and putting one quarter in a dish with some water will soon have your retainer smelling fresh and looking great, as this solution will also remove stains. Don’t use cleaning tabs too frequently – once a week is plenty.
- Step Three: When you see a Calgary Dentist for a cleaning – ask them to soak your retainer during your appointment. It’s amazing how a little professional-grade solution can have an appliance looking and feeling brand new.
Remember to avoid really hot water – as the heat can distort the acrylic of the appliance – causing it to not fit properly. But most importantly, remember that your appliance can’t clean itself, so you need to take care of it so that it remains bacteria-free – and you stay healthy.