8 Tips to Keep Your Retainer Safe and Clean

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Are you wearing a retainer? If yes, you might be looking to know how to care for it. Your retainer is placed inside your mouth and against your teeth. Hence, it promptly accumulates bacteria, plaque, and tartar. You brush your teeth every day right? It’s imperative to clean your retainer every day.

Many need to wear a retainer full-time for a while after they have their braces taken away. This is because teeth aren’t set in an inflexible environment. Even after they are rectified by braces and moved into a better position, they can reallocate after a while.
Retainers help the muscles and tissues in your mouth clasp teeth in their new position. Some people may even need to wear their retainers at night for an indefinite period to keep teeth in place.

Let‘s discuss the different types of retainers. Here we will explain ways to keep them clean, and other tips to keep them well-maintained.

Signs That Your Retainer Needs a Cleaning

  • Your retainer smells or tastes bad
  • If your retainer is coated in a film
  • Check if your retainer looks cloudy
  • Has not been cleaned for more than a week
  • If you detect white spots on the device

In case you notice any of these; then it needs a good cleaning. If you are looking to know, how do I clean and disinfect my retainer? To put it in simple words, in order to disinfect your retainer, you can use warm water and antibacterial dish soap. Scrub the retainer in the mixture and wash. Subsequently, you can immerse it in rubbing alcohol for a short period. This shouldn’t go beyond 15 minutes as the alcohol can cause damage to your retainer.

8 Tips to Keep Your Retainer Safe and Clean: Dentist Toluca Lake

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  • Identify The Type of Retainer
  • Avoid Heat Always
  • Skip Chemicals
  • Don’t Soak for Too Long
  • Clean the Case
  • Replace as Needed
  • Keep Away From Harm
  • When in Doubt, Ask the Dentist

Noticed that your retainer is particularly dirty? Do you find it worn out, or no longer fitting properly? Don’t delay! Contact your dentist immediately.

What If You Don’t Clean Your Retainer?

If you fail to keep your retainer clean, it will keep collecting bacteria, plaque, and tartar from your mouth while you wear it. In due course, it may even start to smell or taste funny. Don’t ignore cleaning it often enough.

To put it in simple words, retainers can port perilous bacteria like Streptococcus, including S. sanguinis, S. mitis, and S. salivarius. Besides, Lactobacillus and Veillonella. Though many bacteria normally are found in the mouth, however, when too many build up, they can lead to infection.

At times, you may get exposed to Candida albicans. This is damaging yeast. This is normally found inside the mouth. However, it may build up on your retainer and lead to contamination.

If you have, a healthy immune system, Streptococcus, and Candida may not be big threats. If your immune system is weak, you need to be more cautious. Let your dentist know right away if you observe any redness, swelling, or other troublesome symptoms in your mouth.

Retainer Toluca Lake Clinic

Maintaining a regular cleaning practice for your retainer helps eliminate bacteria and plaque upsurge on it. Having an ideal retainer is important to keeping your new grin healthy. Cleaning your retainer is as significant as brushing your teeth. Ignoring your retainer can effectively affect your teeth and health. Call Dr. Sahakyan, your Toluca Lake Dentist at My Dentist Toluca Lake at 818-483-9077 to book an appointment.

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