Cleaning Hawley Retainer w/ Solder Joints

[Dobby]

Hello everyone.

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

[bbsadmin]

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

[Dobby]

Thanks for the response.

According to the dentakit website, it looks like dentasoak can be used with soldered retainers as long as they are not soaked for over 15 minutes at a time. Is that true?

[bbsadmin]

The manufacturer doesn't want to mention solder, but from my experience, any soaking solution which is strong enough to kill bacteria will erode the solder over time. You are better off not soaking it.