Cleaning your child’s retainer is a daily job, and the routine itself is short. Brush it every day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a small amount of unscented antibacterial soap, rinse it well, then store it dry in its case. Give it a deeper clean every week or two, and match the method to the kind of retainer your child wears, because a product that is perfectly safe on one style can ruin another.
That last part is where most families get stuck. A clear plastic retainer, a wire and acrylic retainer and a bonded retainer glued behind the teeth all need something a little different. Children’s Dental Center put this guide together so you can stop guessing.
Below we cover the daily routine, how cleaning changes by retainer type, safe ways to deep clean, the products you should never let near a retainer, how to handle the case, what to do after your child has been sick and what buildup or odor is actually telling you.
One quick note before we start. Ask your dentist before applying any new product to the retainer. Styles and materials vary, and we would rather answer a two minute question than replace a warped appliance.
The daily cleaning routine
Retainers should be cleaned every single day. Skipping days lets plaque and bacteria build up, which leads to bad breath, a cloudy looking appliance and a higher risk of tooth decay underneath it. Here is the whole routine.
- Rinse the retainer with cool or lukewarm water as soon as your child takes it out. Do not let it sit dry with saliva and food debris on it.
- Put a small drop of unscented antibacterial soap on a soft-bristled toothbrush and gently brush every surface, inside and out.
- Rinse thoroughly. Soap residue tastes terrible and your child will notice.
- Let it air dry for a few minutes, then store it in its case. A damp retainer in a closed case is a nice little home for bacteria.
- Have your child brush and floss before the retainer goes back in. Trapping plaque against the teeth all night undoes the work.
Keep a separate toothbrush just for the retainer. It does not need to be fancy, only soft. A worn out brush with splayed bristles will scratch the surface, and scratches hold bacteria.
Daily brushing keeps the retainer clean, but it does not disinfect it. Killing germs takes a soak, which we get to below.
Know your retainer type
If you only take one thing from this post, take this. The right cleaning method depends on what the retainer is made of. Here is how the three common types differ.
Hawley retainers
These are the classic removable retainers with a metal wire across the front and a colored acrylic body that sits against the roof of the mouth or behind the lower teeth. They are sturdy and they last, but the acrylic is porous, so it picks up stain and odor over time if daily cleaning slips.
Daily soap and a soft brush handle most of it. For deeper cleaning, retainer cleaning tablets work well. Keep water lukewarm at most, since heat softens acrylic, and handle the wire gently. A bent wire changes how the retainer fits and that means a trip back to us.
Clear plastic retainers
Essix and Vivera style retainers are the thin clear trays that snap over the teeth, and they are what most kids get after Invisalign or braces. They are also the type most likely to be ruined by heat. Hot water, a dishwasher, a boiling pot, a car dashboard in July or a hot windowsill can all warp the plastic enough that it no longer seats properly.
Cool water only. Brush daily with soap, and for deep cleaning use a product made for clear plastic, such as retainer cleaning tablets or Invisalign Cleaning Crystals. Keep soaks short, and skip anything abrasive like toothpaste or baking soda scrubbing, because fine scratches make clear plastic look permanently foggy.
Permanent bonded retainers
A bonded retainer is a thin wire cemented to the back of the front teeth. It never comes out, so there is nothing to soak and no case to clean. Cleaning it is really a flossing job, and it is a different skill than the one your child already has.
Use a floss threader or superfloss to get floss underneath the wire, then slide it up between each pair of teeth and along the gumline. A water flosser makes this much faster and a lot of kids will actually stick with it. Brush along the top and bottom edges of the wire at an angle so the bristles reach where the wire meets the tooth.
Tartar builds up around bonded wires faster than almost anywhere else in the mouth, so keep regular cleanings on the calendar. Once tartar hardens on the wire, only a dental office can remove it.
Deep cleaning and what to use
A deep clean does what daily brushing cannot. It reaches into the texture of the material, lifts film and kills germs. Most kids do well with a deep clean every week or two, plus one after any illness. Check with your dentist before trying any of these.
- Retainer Brite. Dissolvable tablets made specifically for retainers. Follow the package instructions and do not let the retainer soak longer than fifteen minutes.
- Invisalign Cleaning Crystals. Made by Invisalign for Invisalign trays and clear retainers. Follow the instructions carefully.
- Denture solutions. Fine as a backup when you have nothing else, though repeated use can yellow a retainer, so it should not be your regular choice. Same rule applies, fifteen minutes at most.
- Baking soda and water. A natural disinfectant. Mix equal parts into a thick paste, apply it, scrub gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush and rinse thoroughly. Go easy on clear plastic, since baking soda is mildly abrasive.
- White vinegar and water. Another natural option, and it is the best of the group at lifting visible spots. Submerge the retainer in equal parts white vinegar and warm water for no more than twenty minutes, brush gently, then rinse very well. Vinegar smells strong, so do this near a window or outside if anyone in the house is sensitive.
Whatever you use, rinse the retainer completely before it goes back in your child’s mouth, and never soak longer than the package says. Longer is not cleaner. Longer is how retainers get damaged.
What never to use on a retainer
Remember when you got a stain on your favorite non-white shirt and thought, “No biggie, I’ll just throw some bleach on it?” Remember that time you put a takeout container in the microwave without checking if it was microwave safe? You probably stained the shirt and had a melted container inside your microwave.
Neither one was carelessness. The process was just wrong, and the result was more harm than good. The same thing happens with retainers. Harsh chemicals and high heat warp the material, cloud it or leave it too uncomfortable to wear.
To protect your child’s retainer, do NOT use:
- The dishwasher. The heat alone will warp it.
- Boiling or very hot water, for the same reason.
- Bleach, which degrades the material and is not safe to put back in a mouth.
- Rubbing alcohol, which dries out and cracks plastic and acrylic.
- Mouthwash. Most formulas contain alcohol and dyes that break down and stain retainer material.
- Toothpaste. It is abrasive, and the scratches it leaves trap bacteria and make clear retainers look permanently cloudy.
One clarification, because this catches people. Mouthwash is off limits for the retainer, but it is fine for soaking the toothbrush you clean the retainer with. Different object, different rules. Rinse the brush well afterward.
Every product on that list is a good cleaner somewhere else in your house. None of them belong on a dental appliance. If you are unsure about something, ask us first.
Cleaning the retainer case
A spotless retainer going into a dirty case is wasted effort. The case is dark, it is often damp and it gets handled with unwashed hands, which makes it a comfortable spot for bacteria.
Wash it once a week with dish soap, warm water and a sponge or an old toothbrush, paying attention to the hinge and the corners where residue collects. Rinse it and let it air dry completely, upside down and open, before the retainer goes back in.
Replace the case if it cracks, stops closing securely or holds a smell after washing. Cases are inexpensive and a cracked one is how retainers end up crushed in a backpack.
Cleaning a retainer after your child has been sick
Flu season is hard on a household. After the coughing, the vomiting and roughly a gallon of chicken noodle soup, the last thing on your mind is the retainer. It is worth ten minutes, though, because germs linger on it and on everything that touches it.
While your child is sick, they should keep wearing the retainer as usual, except when eating, drinking, throwing up or brushing. Once they are well again, do these three things.
- Replace or disinfect the toothbrushes. The brush used on their teeth and the brush used on the retainer both carry germs. Replacing is easiest. To disinfect instead, soak the brush in antibacterial mouthwash and rinse it well, run it through a UV sanitizer or soak it in a denture cleaner and rinse thoroughly.
- Scrub the case. Give it a full wash with dish soap and let it dry completely before the retainer goes back in.
- Deep clean the retainer. Use whichever soaking method fits your child’s retainer type from the list above, then rinse it well.
If your child has a bonded retainer, there is nothing to soak. Focus on fresh toothbrushes and a thorough flossing session under the wire.
When buildup, smell or cloudiness means something
Retainers tell on us. Here is how to read the signs.
White crusty buildup is tartar, the same hardened mineral deposit that forms on teeth. It comes from saliva and plaque left on the retainer, and once it hardens a toothbrush will not remove it. A vinegar and water soak sometimes softens early buildup. Anything stubborn needs to come to the office.
A smell means bacteria are living on the surface, usually because the retainer is being stored damp or is not getting brushed daily. Tighten up the routine, add a soak, and wash the case. If the odor sticks around after a week of consistent cleaning, the material may be too porous or scratched to salvage.
Cloudiness goes one of two ways. A light film that comes and goes is usually mineral buildup from saliva or hard water, and a proper deep clean clears it. Haze that stays after cleaning is generally permanent, caused either by heat exposure or by fine scratches from abrasive products. That retainer still works if it fits, but it will not look new again.
When it’s time for a new retainer
Retainers do not last forever, and a damaged one can let teeth shift. Call us if you notice any of the following.
- Cracks, chips or a snapped wire
- Warping, or a retainer that has changed shape
- A retainer that no longer seats fully or suddenly feels too tight or too loose
- Buildup that will not come off with cleaning
- An odor that survives a thorough deep clean
Do not have your child force a retainer that does not fit. Set it aside and give us a call so we can look at it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I clean my child’s retainer?
Rinse the retainer as soon as it comes out, then brush every surface with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a small amount of unscented antibacterial soap. Rinse it thoroughly and let it air dry before storing it in its case. Use cool or lukewarm water only, since heat can warp the material.
How often should a retainer be cleaned?
Every day, without exception. Brush it once daily with soap and a soft toothbrush, and rinse it any time it comes out of your child’s mouth. Add a deeper soaking clean every week or two, plus one after any illness.
How do I deep clean a retainer?
Soak it in a product made for the material, such as retainer cleaning tablets, Invisalign Cleaning Crystals or a denture solution, following the package timing exactly. A baking soda paste or a soak in equal parts white vinegar and warm water also works. Brush gently afterward and rinse very well before the retainer goes back in.
Can I soak a retainer in mouthwash?
No. Most mouthwashes contain alcohol and dyes that dry out, discolor and weaken retainer material over time. Mouthwash is fine for disinfecting the toothbrush you use on the retainer, just not the retainer itself. Use a product made for retainers instead.
How often should I use cleaning tablets?
Once a week or every other week is plenty for most kids, on top of daily brushing. Follow the timing on the package and never leave the retainer soaking longer than directed. Extra time does not clean better and it can damage the appliance.
How do I clean the retainer case?
Wash it once a week with dish soap, warm water and a sponge or old toothbrush, scrubbing the hinge and corners. Rinse it and let it air dry fully with the lid open before the retainer goes back in. Replace the case if it cracks, will not close or keeps a smell after washing.
How do I clean a permanent retainer?
A bonded retainer cannot be removed, so cleaning it means brushing and flossing carefully around the wire. Use a floss threader or superfloss to get floss under the wire and between each pair of teeth, or use a water flosser, which is faster and easier for kids. Tartar builds quickly on bonded wires, so keep regular dental cleanings scheduled.
How do I disinfect a retainer after my child has been sick?
Once your child has recovered, deep clean the retainer with a product suited to its material, such as retainer cleaning tablets, a denture solution, a baking soda paste or a white vinegar and warm water soak. Replace or disinfect their toothbrushes at the same time, and scrub the case with dish soap. Check with your dentist first, since the right method depends on the retainer type.
Children’s Dental Center is here to help!
Cleaning a retainer doesn’t need to be complicated. You have enough on your plate as a parent or legal guardian without going down a Google rabbit hole to find answers to your dental questions.
Our knowledgeable, experienced and welcoming staff are always happy to assist! Dental care can be confusing, and trying to combine cleaning, disinfecting and dental health can be tricky.
We are passionate about helping your child(ren) achieve the best possible smile by teaching and encouraging healthy habits and providing expert care. For more information on retainer care or other oral healthcare needs, contact one of our four conveniently located offices to speak to a team member or book an appointment with our highly skilled dentists.
Toothfully, we can’t wait to see you, so come see us soon!