Essix Retainers ADVICE PLEASE

[shygirl]

I had my braces off on Tuesday (YAY) and got a pair of clear essix retainers. They really affected my speech badly, so I cut away the part of the retainer that overlapped onto the palette. Now I am worried that they will not work properly. They still cover my teeth but not any part of palette. Is this a problem or would they still work?

Do I need to order new ones now?

[Snowglobe32]

Hello,

I have had my essix for about 10 days and my speech hasn't been effected at all. That could just be because they aren't uniformly made so everyone's experience is different. My tops and bottoms barely extend beyond my teeth but they do cover my teeth completely. Since yours are now like mine, I would assume they are ok. But, it probably would be a good idea to call and let them know. Maybe they can shape or smooth them out a bit.

Good Luck!

[shygirl]

Thank you for your response that's a great help. My speech really is awful, people can barely understand me, it sounds like I have a mouth full of peanut butter. I also have a huge ulcer under my tongue from one of the edges. I will call my ortho on Monday. I had lingual braces beforehand and speech was easier with those! What do you clean your essix with? X

[bbsadmin]

Don't use a toothbrush to clean your Essix retainer. A toothbrush will put microscopic scratches in the retainer and turn it cloudy over time. Never use toothpaste on it, either! You need to soak an Essix retainer. Use Retainer Brite, DentaSoak, SonicBrite, or Cleanse Freshen Go. We sell all of them at DentaKit.com.

If your speech is that bad with the Essix retainer, maybe it wasn't made properly. Talk to your orthodontist about getting it remade.

[shygirl]

Thank you. What to you think about how I cut the palette part away? The retainer still covers all of my teeth just not the palette. The bottoms I can pop off with my tongue. I can't even go out or socialize because I'm too embarrassed about how I sound :'(

[Snowglobe32]

I ordered some stuff from Dentakit just over a week ago but it hasn't arrived yet. In the meantime, I soak them in water and a bit of clear mouthwash.

[shygirl]

I'm going to order some too. It's crazy that you can't get this stuff at regular pharmacies.

[Snowglobe32]

I received my Dentasoak today and just used it. Not sure if I like it. I followed the instructions, waited 15 minutes and now my retainer looks cloudy. Very weird. I am sure it is good for getting rid of any bacteria but I prefer the shiny clean look my clear Crest Mouthwash and water gives my retainer. Maybe I am doing something wrong?

[JillD]

Don't use a toothbrush to clean your Essix retainer. A toothbrush will put microscopic scratches in the retainer and turn it cloudy over time.

Then what should we use to scrub? Are you suggesting we shouldn't scrub our retainers at all?

[BraceFace2o1o]

Good question. I haven't been using a toothbrush to clean my essix retainers because I had previously read about doing so creating scratches. I have just been rinsing with cool running water every time I take them out and soaking in Retainer Brite once a day. I do not think mine with stay clean and clear for very long only using the Retainer Brite.

[plugnickel69]

I was told to use a soft toothbrush only for this purpose and antibacterial soap.

[JillD]

I don't think just soaking in the soap and rinsing is enough. I found sometimes my lipstick gets on my retainers. If I don't scrub, it never goes away. If something I can see stays on stubborn like that, I wonder what else invisible is there.

[BraceFace2o1o]

I was told to use a soft toothbrush only for this purpose and antibacterial soap.

I don't think just soaking in the soap and rinsing is enough. I found sometimes my lipstick gets on my retainers. If I don't scrub, it never goes away. If something I can see stays on stubborn like that, I wonder what else invisible is there.

Yeah the rinsing and retainer brite just isn't doing enough for mine IMO, I cannot get rid of some white stuff/cloudy stuff in the bottom of my retainers so I will buy as soft a tooth brush as I can and start using that too. I plan on getting hawleys soon so if I do manage to scratch them it wont matter so much

[plugnickel69]

Again, I've been using a soft toothbrush (the throwaway kind from the ortho's office) and liquid antibacterial soap, and there's no scratching, no residue, no odor, takes a minute to clean the Essix. I never put it on without first brushing my teeth.

[Snowglobe32]

So, I have been using my Dentasoak for just over a week and I prefer my Crest clear mouthwash/water mixture. Dentasoak makes my retainer cloudy. I have no idea why it does this but it is really annoying. I now wonder if it really kills bacteria because that would be the only reason I continue to use it...has anyone else tried this stuff?