How to Care for Your Retainer
You've already suffered through the uncontrollable drooling and the gooey stuff they stuck in your mouth to make your retainer—that should be incentive enough to take care of the one you've got, right?
Up next in How to Have Good Oral Hygiene (16 videos)
Prevent cavities, bad breath, stained teeth, bleeding gums, and other mouth woes with the advice in these Howcast videos.
You Will Need
- Your retainer
- A plastic retainer case
- A toothbrush or retainer brush
- Some toothpaste
- And some water
- Mouthwash (optional) (optional)
- And spare containers (optional) (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Brush retainer
Using toothpaste, brush your retainer with your toothbrush or retainer brush in the morning and evening.
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Soaking your retainer in mouthwash a few times a day will help kill off germs.
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Step 2
Remove to eat
Always remove your retainer when you eat.
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Keep a spare container in the kitchen and/or dining room so you always have a place to keep your retainer while you eat.
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Step 3
Soak in water
Soak you retainer in cool water when you are not wearing it.
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Step 4
Don't bend wires
Don't bend the wires or flip the retainer around in your mouth.
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Step 5
Keep in its case
Keep your retainer in its case if you are transporting it somewhere and not wearing it.
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Step 6
Don't leave in heat
Never leave your retainer near a source of heat--it could melt. Then it's back to the gooey stuff...
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That gooey stuff is actually rubber--once it's removed from your mouth, plaster is poured over it, creating a cast used to craft your lovely plastic retainer.
