Metal Mouth Message Board

I KNOW this topic has probably been talked to death but that's WHY I'm frustrated. Background: I had Invisaligns years ago but went off retainers for a couple years and shouldn't have. I went back just today to get some new retainers made - this time "hawley" type retainers so they'd actually last awhile. I like them.

BUT my ortho gave me cleaning instructions that seem contradicted by much of what I read on the web. Ortho says brush with toothpaste. Interwebs say toothpaste can lead to microscopic scratches that can harbor bacteria (even on hawley).

Ortho also says use denture cleaners to remove scale, but then I read that denture cleaners and even RETAINER cleaners can dissolve solder points, which I don't know if I have or not. Yet I KNOW from my past experience w/ invisalign that simple vinegar *does* get rid of scale nicely.

I'm afraid to wreck my new $$$$ hawleys. Help!

If you use soak your retainers in denture cleaner or a retainer cleaner it WILL weaken the solder over time. There is just no way around it. It's the chemicals in the products. The only one I could totally recommend is Cleanse Freshen Go, because since you don't soak your retainers to use that product, it will have less of an effect on the solder points.

But are you sure that your retainer has solder points, and that those parts of the retainer are totally necessary? Sometimes extra parts are soldered on as an afterthought and are not totally necessary for retention. You should ask your orthodontist.

Also, I wouldn't worry as much about brushing a Hawley retainer as a clear Essix retainer. Brushing isn't recommended for Essix because it can scratch the surface. On a Hawley, I would be less concerned about that.

Both my current and past orthodontist said cleaning my Hawley with toothbrush and toothpaste is fine. Not sure about the claims that it creates micro scratches, they are made from a quite strong and durable type of plastic.
As for using denture cleaner it can damage any solder. My current orthodontist recommended Retainer Bright but if I really wanted to use denture cleaner I could, just soak it for maybe an hour at most and never overnight. They had seen some retainers in the past damaged by using denture cleaner but it only happened when people soaked them for extended periods.

I have Hawleys and my orthodontist suggest soaking them in white vinegar solution to clean them. Seems to work OK although you have to remember to rinse them in water before putting them back in again otherwise the taste is awful!