Blog
Dental hygiene tips for healthy teeth & gums
Do permanent retainers make your breath stink?
While wearing retainers, maintaining a proper oral hygiene routine is vital, just like with your Invisalign. If you have completed your Invisalign process, you must wear retainers to keep a straight-looking smile for the rest of your life. There are two types of retainers, temporary and permanent; with each of them, it is necessary to have a proper brushing and flossing routine.
Retainers are meant to hold your teeth and provide minor shifts in the position after Invisalign treatment. Generally, with retainers, most patients complain about bad breath or stinky teeth, but apart from retainers, various factors contribute to bad breath during the teeth straightening process.
There are multiple bacterias that can harm your teeth; one of them is halitosis-inducing bacteria. Halitosis bacteria live in your teeth and can deposit plaque on your retainers if you do not brush your teeth properly. Without correct daily oral care, your permanent retainers are a perfect place for these bacteria to accumulate in large numbers.
How to avoid stinky breath during permanent retainers?
There are a few steps that you can adopt to take better care of your teeth while wearing retainers.
- Brush your teeth every time you take out your retainers.
- Use charcoal or ant-bacterial toothpaste. Brush your teeth with it every time you do something to ensure there are no particles.
- Wash your retainers with lukewarm water before putting them back in your mouth.
- Soak your retainers in a denture-cleaning tablet once a week for some time to clean them properly.
- Floss your teeth every two days with a good quality mouthwash.
- Do not keep your retainers in the open and put them back directly in your mouth.
Lastly, if you have any issues with your retainers or Invisalign treatment, you must visit your dentist for a suitable treatment.