Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi,
a month ago I finished having braces and received a clear retainer to use constantly. I use it only during the night.
In the morning when I remove the retainer, there is a very acidic taste on my teeth, from the saliva that has been trapped the whole night between the teeth and the retainer.
I have read that this can very easily cause tooth decay. I also read that brushing the teeth immediately after such exposure to acid can effectively damage and even remove the enamel.

I do not know what to do. I have my next orthodontist appointment in a month. There is very little information on the internet about the effects of acid due to retainer wear.

So far, the only solution i see is to wear the retainer during the day (at least 8 hours), so i can remove it from time to time and rinse my teeth.

Does anyone has any experience with this? I am really interested to know more.

Thank you.

Bump

I'm in the same boat.

One of the many reasons I switched to a Hawley retainer. My essix was a bacteria magnet.

As long as you've thoroughly brushed and flossed, shouldn't the same spit that normally accumulates on your teeth during the night without a retainer be the same crap that accumulates inside your retainer during the same time frame? I'm only 3 months out of braces after nearly 5 years, but it seems like mouth chemistry is mouth chemistry...either you're prone to stuff or you're not. I will say that I want to flush my mouth out with fresh water in the morning after taking out my Essix, but it doesn't seem too much worse than when my braces were in. I swish, eat breakfast, then brush soon after...so far, so good!

Isn't Invasalign the same?

I have the same issue with my clear retainer. I am especially worried since I have acid reflux. I plan to ask my orthodontist about it the next time I go in for a check up.

lambchop wrote:As long as you've thoroughly brushed and flossed, shouldn't the same spit that normally accumulates on your teeth during the night without a retainer be the same crap that accumulates inside your retainer during the same time frame? I'm only 3 months out of braces after nearly 5 years, but it seems like mouth chemistry is mouth chemistry...either you're prone to stuff or you're not. I will say that I want to flush my mouth out with fresh water in the morning after taking out my Essix, but it doesn't seem too much worse than when my braces were in. I swish, eat breakfast, then brush soon after...so far, so good!

This is my basic routine as well. I haven't noticed a particularly acidic taste. Also I only put them in after brushing and keep them in a glass with denture cleaner to kill bacteria when I'm not wearing.