Most people know the importance of dental hygiene, such as brushing teeth daily. However, if you wear clear aligners or a retainer, cleaning these appliances should also be a part of your daily teeth cleaning regimen. Below, we discuss some effects of not properly cleaning your retainer or aligners. 

How Often Should You Clean Your Retainer or Aligner?

You should clean your clear aligners or retainer every time you take them out of your mouth. You can do this by running them under warm water and gently brushing them with a soft toothbrush or Q-tip. You can also use WhiteFoam™ cleaning solution to quickly and conveniently clean your dental appliances with no brushing, soaking or rinsing required. Cleaning your retainer or aligners is the only surefire way to keep plaque deposits at bay.

What Happens When You Don't Clean Your Retainer?

Even if you're not sure what plaque is, you've definitely encountered it. This sticky film nestles itself around your teeth and is full of bacteria. However, plaque isn't isolated to your teeth. When you wear dental appliances, plaque and bacteria can transfer to or accumulate on your retainer or aligners as well — even if you don't eat while wearing them.

Cleaning plaque from your clear aligners or retainer is an essential aspect of good dental hygiene. A dirty retainer can lead to various unwanted side effects, such as:

• Discoloration: Almost all aligner and retainer discoloration results from poor oral hygiene habits. It's difficult to clean a stained aligner, so it's better to keep your appliances clean to prevent discoloration from occurring in the first place.
• Bad smell or taste: Odor-causing bacteria can grow under your aligners or retainer, causing bad breath or a bad taste. Every time you remove your appliance, rinse it with lukewarm water or give it a spray or two of AlignerFresh to keep foul odors away. 
• Potentially dangerous microbes: Unclean retainers and aligners can harbor potentially dangerous microbes and bacteria, leading to infection or illness. The only way to ensure your appliance remains free from these microscopic organisms is to clean it.

Keep Your Aligners and Retainers Clean With WhiteFoam™ by EverSmile^®

Looking for a fast and effective way to clean your retainer or clear aligners? When you're on the go, WhiteFoam™ deep cleans your dental appliance, giving you a fresh feeling and saving you from embarrassing odors or dangerous microbes. Check out our easy-to-use aligner cleaner and other products to learn more.