If You Wear A Retainer Or Mouth Guard, You May Be Making These Common Mistakes
Are you also doing it wrong?
By Laila Zain — 29 Jun 2020, 05:29 PM
You're not alone. These custom-made devices hold your teeth in position after having orthodontic treatment, such as wearing braces.
Retainers and mouth guards are really important because they help hold your teeth in place. Without it, your teeth would slowly slide back into their old positions.
Ugh, can you imagine? After all the years of pain and discomfort wearing braces, the teeth extractions, all the tightening procedures, tiny rubber bands snapping in your mouth, not being able to eat properly... let's not even get into the cost! *cries in RM*
Retainers are so important for your teeth!
Even so, you may make the mistake of sometimes forgetting or just feeling too lazy to wear your retainer
But the truth is, the more often you wear a retainer, the more effective it is. It helps your teeth settle into their new positions, and eventually you can decrease the amount of time you wear it.
Generally, you should wear a retainer for longer than you had your braces. For example, if you wore braces for three years, you should wear your retainer for just over three years.
But the most common mistake is not cleaning your retainer properly
Many people say they clean their retainers with either soap, toothpaste, or just plain water. All three options are incorrect.
Regular toothpaste can actually damage and scratch your retainer. Not only can this make it less comfortable, it can also create hygiene issues. These scratch marks become breeding grounds for bacteria, which increases the risk of infection and bad breath.
And of course, if you're not cleaning your retainer at all, you're sure to be introducing dangerous bacteria into your mouth :(
Instead, what you should be doing is soaking your retainer in diluted denture cleaner regularly, and brushing them as you would brush your teeth.
Polident Denture Cleaner is actually created for this purpose. In addition to cleaning dentures, Polident is formulated to cleanse both retainers and mouth guards.^ It kills 99.9% of odour-causing bacteria*, as well as ten times more harmful germs than regular toothpaste.#
*In laboratory tests.
^Based on testing done on polymethyl methacrylate, stainless steel, cobalt
chrome alloys, and ethylene vinyl copolymer.
#Soaking only, in laboratory testing.
Here's how to properly clean your retainer:
2. Brush with a soft toothbrush, using the same Polident solution.
3. Rinse under running water.
That's all there is to it! Remember to discard the used Polident solution once you're done.
You should make it a habit to clean your retainer after every use.
Don't settle for using a smelly retainer! Check out Polident Cleanser:
It might seem leceh but it's less than 10 minutes of your time, and it will benefit you for years to come!
