Can anyone tell me if there is or is not a difference between Retainer Brite™ and regular denture cleaner tablets? They seem to have the same ingredients.
I have a clear, plastic nightguard.
I did ask someone at my dentist’s office, and got a mumbled “no you need to use this stuff” in reply, which was less than convincing.
I can get house-brand denture tables for around $3 for a 90 day supply. 90 days’ worth of the retainer-specific product is $20 at my dentist’s or online. (No one else carries it locally.)
Whether or not it’s true that there’s a massive yet subtle difference between this product and denture cleaners, if the plastic in your nightguard is solely internal or if you only wear it to bed, is it worth $17 a pop if it might turn yellow or cloudy? FWIW, the plastic part of my partial is still pink after several years of using cheap store-brand tablets. And my hygienist comments almost every time I go to the dentist on what good shape I’ve managed to keep the damned thing in.
Thanks for the links! I had found links for the ingredients a couple months ago but didn’t post then. When I looked today, I couldn’t find the links again.
Hmm. My gadget is all clear plastic of some kind. It already started turning cloudy because I didn’t use the tablets to clean it to start with, although it did get better after I started using them.
I wear the thing to sleep. I’m thinking that if I’m sleeping with someone who’s too special to see me in yellowing plastic, I probably wouldn’t be wearing it at all!
I’m out of tablets and discovered yesterday when I went by that the dentist’s office is on vacation. I think I have some denture tablets around somewhere. If not, I can always get some and give them to Mom if I don’t like them. This may be the time to find out what happens!
On preview: y’know, that last quote you posted makes me wonder exactly how an effervescent cleaner manages to scratch anything. And if it doesn’t, then how accurate is the rest of the statement, y’know what I mean? :dubious:
Huh. Do y’all brush it daily, weekly, occasionally?
I’d had one of those OTC night guards (hadda try the idea out before I sprung the big bucks doncha know), which just said to rinse with warm water.
When I tried that with my dentist-supplied version, it got grucky and cloudy after a couple-three weeks. It is a lot deeper than the OTC, though, and a very different material.
I’d wondered about rinsing in mouthwash, but hadn’t thought to just brush it. Dentist said ‘use tablets’, so that’s what I’ve been doing. I’d bet it’s to improve compliance though - it’s a lot easier to drop the thing in a glass of water than to brush it.
Yeah, clean it daily, whether a soak or a quick brush. Think about bacterial gunk left on the surface of your appliance in contact with your teeth all the next night, simmering. Yuck.
When I had a retainer, years ago, I was specifically told by my dentist to use denture cleaning tablets. I assume this was before they had special retainer clearer, maybe? I think they may have even given me some denture cleaner to use. I never had a problem with yellowing or clouding. I used it about once a week or so and brushed it the days that I didn’t use the cleaner.
