If you are one of the millions of people who wear oral appliances, you may be wondering about the right way to store and clean them. While dentures are used in place of missing teeth, retainers are normally used to help correct the teeth and gums during orthodontic treatments to post-treatment to retain the acquired result. Both dentures and retainers are made from a similar material that helps give firmness and minimizes the weight of the retainers or dentures.
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Tips for Cleaning Your Dentures and Retainers
- Never use toothpaste on any oral appliances as it is an abrasive cleanser. Even though the enamel (being the hardest material in the human body) can stand the abrasive quality of toothpaste, your plastic appliance, which is much softer and fragile, cannot.
- Use baking soda to disinfect the denture or retainer. Baking soda helps increase the pH and controls bacteria from growing on your appliance. Additionally, it can also help in reducing the appliance’s smell.
- Always keep your denture and retainer moisturized. Both of these appliances are designed to be worn in your mouth, which means the environment is warm and moist. Storing them in a dry state can actually damage the material.
- Avoid using hot water to clean to clean either of the appliances as it can damage the plastic and affect its shape.
- Brush your dentures and retainers twice daily, wash them after every meal and always keep your mouth clean after every meal.
Tips for Storing Your Dentures and Retainers
- Always keep your dentures and retainers in a protective casing instead of in a tissue paper or napkin. Since many retainers are transparent, they could be easily misplaced or thrown away.
- Avoid leaving them in random places even with the casing.
You should also talk to your dentist about keeping your dentures and retainers clean and safe in the long run. For more information call us now or book an appointment online.
