Yes, You Can Use Efferdent on Retainers and Other Dental Appliances

If you are from Gen X or Gen Y, you may have seen Efferdent in your grandparents’ medicine cabinet. That’s because Efferdent was first used to clean dentures starting in 1966—long before the clear aligners and retainers of today became popular! 

Did you know Efferdent works great to clean retainers and other removable dental appliances too?

Dental Appliances You Can Safely Use Efferdent On

Efferdent® Dental Appliance Cleanser is formulated to kill 99.9% of odor-causing bacteria, prevent plaque buildup, and remove stains. 

You can use Efferdent on the following dental appliances, whether bought online, in a store, or through your dentist or orthodontist:

• Retainers
• Clear aligners
• Nighttime dental guards
• Sports mouth guards
• Full plate dentures
• Partial dentures

Efferdent® Dental Appliance Cleanser tablets safely clean these dental appliances in only 3 minutes, and you can rinse your appliance and put them back in your mouth right after cleaning—but remember, your teeth should be clean before inserting retainers or other dental appliances too. 

Dental Appliance Cleaners vs. Toothpaste or Mouthwash 

Is there one best cleaner for retainers or other dental appliances? Well, we think that answer is up to you. But you do want to find a method that will remove bacteria, plaque buildup and stains without damaging your appliance.

Toothbrushes and toothpastes on retainers, aligners and night guards

Most people already have toothbrushes and toothpaste on hand, so it may seem to be an easy way to clean your retainer, aligner or other dental appliance. There are a few things to keep in mind with this method, though. 

First is that reading the cleaning instructions—or asking your dentist or orthodontist about cleaning methods—is super important. Many retainers, aligners and night guards are made of a soft plastic or thermoplastic material that can be damaged by hard brushing or abrasive toothpastes. You need to know if yours can safely withstand brushing with or without toothpaste. 

Also, many toothpastes have ingredients or microbeads that make them abrasive, which can scratch and damage your soft aligners or similar dental appliances. Any damage—even slight, barely visible scratches—can become traps for bacteria and lead to tooth decay or infection. Plus, continued abrasive contact from toothpastes or hard toothbrush bristles can cause damage that shortens the life of your retainer or dental appliance. 

Using toothpaste can dull the plastic on your dental appliances too. This can make clear aligners look cloudy and lose their see-through nature. 

Can you use mouthwash on retainers and aligners?

Anti-bacterial mouthwash seems like a great idea. However, most have dyes that can stain your clear aligners and even opaque dental appliances. Most mouthwashes also contain alcohol, which can dry out and damage your appliances too. 

Using Efferdent daily and for deep cleans

Soaking your dental appliances in Efferdent as directed will not cause damage. You can use it every day or, if you use a different daily cleaning method, you can use Efferdent once a week for deep cleaning – we even have a Deep Clean option for when you need a more advanced clean.