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While retainers are a great tool to ensure your teeth alignment is properly maintained, what about maintaining the retainers themselves?
Keeping your dental tools in check should be a big part of your oral hygiene routine. And if you’re experiencing a bad smell from your retainers while you remove them, that’s a big red flag. The bad odor of your retainers can be due to poor oral hygiene. In this blog, we will explore multiple reasons why your retainers have a bad odor and how to avoid this situation.
What are Retainers?
Even after you attain your ideal smile using dental aligners, keeping them in place is an important part of the teeth straightening process. Which is why retainers are used.
Retainers are dental devices customized to your dental needs. Since the chances of your teeth going back to their original position are very probable, especially in the earlier stages of post-teeth alignment, these retainers are placed inside your mouth as per the recommendations of your dentist or orthodontist.
Why do Retainers Smell?
Nobody likes having smelling retainers. But why do they actually smell? The main reason is the presence of germs and bacteria in your mouth. While you may think you are keeping your mouth clean and fresh at all times, these germs and bacteria can exist even in the smallest of amounts, giving birth to waste products and eventually leading to a bad smell.
Therefore, once the retainers are introduced to such bacteria and not properly cleaned, they can start smelling the same. Furthermore, there are some other reasons your retainers smell bad:
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Dry Mouth
When you lack enough intake of water, your mouth gets dehydrated. Dry mouth, also referred to as xerostomia, causes bad breath as it prevents saliva production. This saliva is in turn responsible for keeping your mouth clean, and its absence causes a bad smell.
This is why a dry-mouth user may experience smelling retainers. While not the primary factor, this can still be a very probable reason why your retainers have a bad odor.
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Bacterial Growth
When food particles remain stuck in your mouth and are not cleaned properly, it leads to bacterial growth.
Such growth can eventually lead to bad odor. To ensure this does not happen, make sure to clean your teeth as well as your retainers to prevent plaque accumulation caused by bacteria.
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Improper Cleaning
There is a high chance your retainers are not cleaned properly. Since retainers remain in your mouth for the whole day, the presence of saliva on the retainers can also make them smell bad. This is why you should ensure that your retainers are properly cleaned after every use.
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Oral Health Issues
Dental issues such as a chipped tooth or gum disease can be a reason for bad odor, which in turn can be transferred to your retainers as well. If you experience any oral health issue, make sure you treat it as soon as possible.
Order Retainers From ALIGNERCO
If you are looking for top-tier retainers that provide enhanced comfort along with a perfect fit, then ALIGNERCO is the brand for you. Here’s how you can get your very own custom-tailored retainers:
- Our easy-to-use impression kit will help you generate your dental impressions.
- Once it is done, send them back to us.
- Your custom-tailored retainers will be made using these impressions. Once done, they’ll be sent to you.
- Wear retainers to keep your teeth in your desired position to achieve that perfect smile.
To sum it up, multiple dental issues lead to the bad odor of your mouth as well as your retainers. But understanding the reasons and their causes helps you maintain them. Hence, by avoiding all the possible situations and proper cleaning, you can increase the longevity of your retainers.
FAQs
1. Why are clear retainers important?
Once you have achieved your smile using aligners, the next step is to retain your newly straightened teeth. Wearing retainers prevents your teeth from shifting back to their original position.
2. How do I clean my retainers?
Your retainers can be cleaned simply using lukewarm water and a soft-bristled toothbrush to prevent bacteria from coming into contact with your perfectly aligned smile. If you’re looking to take extra measures, denture-cleaning solutions can also be used.
Related Blogs
https://alignerco.it/blogs/blog/link-between-oral-hygiene-and-teeth-straightening
https://alignerco.it/blogs/blog/the-surprising-reason-why-removable-braces-are-so-popular-today