Cleaning Hawley Retainer w/ Solder Joints

[Dobby]

Hello everyone.

I posted this previously in the wrong place, so I'm going to try again. Sorry about the mistake. I'm a newbie.

I am trying to learn about care for Hawley Dental Retainers with Solder joints.

I have had this type of retainer for years. I soaked it every day in efferdent for several hours, and wore it at night. It didn't seem to be a problem. Recently, my dental hygienist sterilized it. Then, when I soaked it in efferdent, the solder joints had a green substance on them. Within a few days, two of the joints fell off.

Today, my orthodontist ordered me a new retainer. I was reading about cleaning retainers. Some people say efferdent doesn’t work well with solder joints. My orthodontist gives out free samples of “retainer brite” but it isn’t recommended for solder joints.

I plan to ask his advise when I go back and pick up my new retainer in about a month. I am open to any input from you folks.

Thanks,
Dobby

[Bullfighter]

I was told to clean the solder joints with an emery board to brighten them.

[bbsadmin]

He doesn't mean brightening them. He means trying to make sure that the solder joints don't crumble and fall apart.

As I mentioned in the other post.....

You cannot soak a retainer that has solder. Any soaking liquid will crumble the solder joints over time.

Many times, the piece that is soldered on is an "extra afterthought." You need to ask your orthodontist if this is the case. It's possible that you can get the retainer made without the metal solder.

The only way that you can clean it without affecting the solder would be to brush it with a toothbrush, or use Cleanse Freshen Go spray or wipes, which are available at DentaKit.com: http://www.dentakit.com/clfrgo.html

[Labguy]

I see this a lot. DON'T soak solder joints in anything. Any kind of denture cleaner will react with the solder and it will become blackened, brittle and fall off. A common retainer is where the bow is soldered to c-clasps on the bi-cuspids, or back to adams clasps on the molars. Toothbrush and toothpaste will do just fine. As far as an emory board? We do use a fine pumice in the lab to the hit the joints before high-shining them, but I'd be careful of overdoing it. When properly cared for, I've seen solder joints last 15 years.

[Dobby]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

My last retainer lasted about 13 years. I was soaking them all day every day in efferdent and wearing them at night. The solder joints did darken but didn't fall off until recently. I didn't even connect the efferdent with the joints falling off until I started looking online a few days ago. I want to be more careful with my new retainer when it comes next month.

I'm grateful for all the feedback. The emory board idea was interesting. I love to hear how people are taking care of their retainers. One of the workers in the office of my orthodontist said she just brushed her retainer and then soaked it once a week in listerine. I'm not sure if she had solder joints or not.

What I'm hearing from you all is that I shouldn't soak them in anything. My only concern is whether or not brushing alone will keep the bacteria,etc. off on an ongoing basis. I've read horror stories about people getting infections in their mouths from wearing retainers that had stuff growing on them. Of course, that might just be an urban myth.

It's really wonderful to have a discussion board like this where we can learn things from each other. I've learned a lot already just by looking around and reading things that people write.

[Dobby]

Lynn & Lab Guy,

When my solder joints fell off my old retainer it occurred about a week after my dental hygienist sterillized my retainer. This was the first time I had ever had the retainer sterillized. I'm thinking there must be a connection... So, I plan not to let her sterillize my new retainer. I was wondering if you had any information about whether or not it is adviseable to sterilize retainers with solder joints.

BTW, Lynn I know you keep saying that solder joints are probably an after thought. Frankly, I'm not sure if my orthodontist will put them on the new retainer or not. Either way, I just can't see myself asking him to change the way he made the retainer. So, I'm just going to try to figure out how best to care for them.

[Labguy]

Hi Dobby,

There might be a connection there, depending on the solution they use. We sterilize every retainer before it is delivered, but the solution we use is specifically made to be safe for solder joints. If your dental hygienist sterilized it, I'm guessing it was in a solution made for dentures, which is what I advise against.

I think I know what Lynn (bbsadmin?) is talking about concerning afterthoughts. I've seen retainers with enough things soldered on them to set off an airport metal detector. I call them "auxiliaries," things like hooks, spurs, springs, "cowhorns" etc. They are either on there to serve a very specific purpose post-treatment, a final tweak here and there, or as a "just in case" after the braces are taken off. Once they served their purpose, though, I don't see needing them anymore. A true "soldered retainer" -as explained in a previous post- is a different kind of animal. Doctors who use them are very attached to the design for specific reasons. If they use soldered c-clasps on the first premolars, for instance, it is because they feel that other types of clasps that go over the teeth will open up space or break over time by the patient biting on them. Have I rambled enough yet?

Personally, I don't like soldered retainers because of the tendency for the solder joint to break. It could have as much to do with drinking too much coca-cola or lemonade (high acidic content) as soaking them in denture cleaner. It might be worth mentioning it to your ortho, Dobby, and see if he would go with a different design.

Good luck!

[Dobby]

Thanks Labguy! You've given me some useful information to consider, and I appreciate it!

[bbsadmin]

It's nice to have an experienced lab tech "in the house!"

[loradora]

My ortho instructed me to soak them once a week in a mixture of vinegar/water.