Cleaning and Caring for Retainers
For adults with a removable or bonded retainer: daily cleaning, damage, heat, storage, bonded wires, staining and lifespan. NHS and British Orthodontic Society leaflets advise gentle brushing with cold water, a protective box and no heat; sources differ on toothpaste and cleaning tablets.
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Medical disclaimer: This page is for general information only. It does not replace an examination or treatment by a dentist.
Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, principal dentist, reviewed this page. He is a General Dental Practitioner: BDS, BSc (Hons), MSc (Leeds), PG Dip Implant Dentistry, PG Cert Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry.
How should you clean a removable retainer each day?
Brush it gently with a toothbrush under cold water, over a sink in case it drops, the British Orthodontic Society's (BOS) 2019 leaflet advises.
A 2025 East Sussex NHS leaflet adds: rinse it on removal so saliva does not stick, and refit it on brushed teeth, as it holds leftover food or drink against them, which can cause decay.
Sources differ on toothpaste. BOS says it can roughen a retainer and change its colour, and Queen Victoria Hospital's 2022 leaflet that it makes retainers cloudy; that leaflet and NHS Lothian's (2025) suggest soap. Leeds Teaching Hospitals' 2025 clear-retainer leaflet suggests a little toothpaste. BOS says each type of retainer has its own instructions, and that following those for yours is really important.
Our main page covers what an orthodontic retainer does.
What can damage a retainer?
Heat, some cleaning products, hard or chewy food and rough handling, NHS and BOS guidance says.
BOS's 2019 leaflet says hard or chewy food can damage a retainer, giving apples, carrots and crusty bread as examples, and that tongue-clicking it in and out can break or loosen it. Leeds' leaflet says hot water, bleach or detergent will discolour clear retainers.
Why must a retainer be kept away from heat?
Heat can shrink, warp or distort retainer plastic so it may no longer fit, NHS and AAO guidance warns.
NHS Lothian's 2025 leaflet says not to clean a retainer in very hot or boiling water, as the plastic may distort and stop fitting, and Queen Victoria Hospital's 2022 leaflet says very hot water will shrink it. The AAO, a US orthodontic association, says hot water or a hot car can damage or warp some retainer materials, and not to reshape one with hot water at home.
How should you store a retainer?
In its protective box whenever it is out of your mouth, BOS's 2019 leaflet says.
NHS Lothian's leaflet adds not to wrap it in tissue, where it may be thrown away, or carry it loose in a pocket or bag, and to keep it from cats and dogs.
Questions about this treatment? Book online or call the practice.
How do you clean around a bonded retainer?
With extra time, says BOS, which calls a high standard of tooth cleaning near a bonded (fixed) retainer essential to avoid gum problems.
Interdental technique is on our page about cleaning between your teeth, general gum care on our hygiene appointments page, and the two types on our page about fixed and removable retainers compared.
A bonded retainer usually sits hidden behind the teeth, BOS notes. Cochrane's 2023 review, searched to April 2022, found one 2018 UK trial (59 people, median age 16 to 17) in which, at 12 months, bonded retainers had more calculus (hardened plaque) and minimally worse gum scores in the lower arch, and more plaque in the upper, than part-time clear retainers (wear unknown); the trial's authors said this did not appear to cause clinically significant gum problems.
Other trials comparing them found no plaque or gum differences at various time points. A 2007 study found more calculus, recession and probing depth in 32 people who had worn a lower bonded retainer for 9 to 11 years than in 32 at 3 to 6 months, with plaque, gum scores and bone level no different.
A 2019 UK clinical guide says calculus build-up around a bonded retainer should be removed, and that use of water flossers, threaded floss, interdental brushes or similar aids should be reinforced regularly.
What makes a retainer cloudy or discoloured, and what freshens it?
Toothpaste, hot water and harsh cleaners, NHS and BOS leaflets say, and coffee and tea in mostly laboratory studies; evidence on cleaning tablets is mixed.
A 2026 review of 20 mostly laboratory studies often linked brushing, particularly with toothpaste, to altered clear aligner and retainer surfaces, and coffee and tea to greater or longer-lasting staining; cleaning did not always fully restore colour, and repeated use of some cleaning agents, a denture cleaner among them, was linked to colour or clarity changes in some materials. It says laboratory changes are not direct evidence of clinically noticeable deterioration, and no specific cleaning method yet has enough clinical evidence for routine recommendation.
Plymouth's 2022 leaflet suggests a retainer cleaner or denture-cleaning tablets for freshening up. In a 2017 trial of 60 volunteers, adding a daily peroxide tablet soak to brushing for 14 days did not significantly lower bacterial counts on clear retainers, though the tablets seemed effective against one group of bacteria; a 2019 fixed-order study of 21 volunteers found lower counts with tablets or vinegar than brushing alone, though plaque and bleeding scores did not differ.
How long does a retainer last?
NHS Lothian's 2025 leaflet tells its patients looked-after retainers should last 1 to 2 years.
Queen Victoria Hospital's 2022 leaflet says bonded retainers often remain in place indefinitely. Our page on a lost or broken retainer covers damage and loss.
When should you speak to a dentist about a care problem?
When a retainer stops fitting fully, causes significant pain or looks warped or damaged (AAO); at once if a bonded one breaks or loosens (BOS).
For gums, the NHS says to see a dentist if they bleed when you brush or eat hard foods, or are painful and swollen, if you have bad breath, or if a child has sore, bleeding gums. It says to ask for an urgent dentist appointment if gum disease comes with symptoms such as very sore and swollen gums, loose teeth or teeth falling out, ulcers or red patches in the mouth, or a lump in the mouth or on the lip. In an emergency or out of hours, call your dentist; if you do not have one or cannot get an emergency appointment, call 111.
Frequently asked questions
Does mouthwash harm a clear retainer?
It can affect some materials, mostly in laboratory tests. A 2026 review linked repeated exposure to alcohol-containing mouthwash or chlorhexidine with colour change or reduced clarity in some clear aligner and retainer materials. BOS's 2019 leaflet separately suggests a daily alcohol-free fluoride mouthrinse for the teeth, away from brushing times.
Is a water flosser better than an interdental brush around a bonded retainer?
In one trial, on some measures. In a 2026 Pakistan trial, after professional cleaning, 70 healthy adults aged 18 to 40 with lower bonded retainers used water flossers or interdental brushes inserted from the front only, daily. Both improved; at 6 months the flosser group had lower plaque, gum inflammation and calculus scores, but not deeper measures. Use was self-reported.
How often should you clean a retainer?
After meals and whenever you brush, going by NHS leaflets. NHS Lothian's 2025 leaflet says to clean your retainer after meals, and Queen Victoria Hospital's 2022 leaflet says to brush a fixed retainer whenever you brush your teeth. BOS's 2019 leaflet adds tooth brushing twice a day, for at least 2 minutes.
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Reviews of Deepcar Dental Care are on our patient reviews page. Our page on orthodontics at Deepcar Dental Care covers orthodontic treatment at the practice.
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