Invisalign: sonic cleaner for retainers?

[mummabubs]

Planning to go ahead with Invisalign in the next couple of weeks. I had retainers as a teenager and remember how much of a faff cleaning them was!

Facebook has cottoned onto my Invisalign journey so all my algorithm ads are now for those sonic cleaners designed to make cleaning your retainers a doddle... Anyone tried and would they actually recommend or is it all a fad?

I used sterident tablets in a pot to clean my aligners and thought they were fine. But once I got my retainer, I bought a £25 ultrasonic cleaner from Amazon and I’m amazed at how much cleaner and fresher they now feel and look. Definitely wish I’d have done it from the beginning!

My Invisalign are replaced every two weeks and I never eat or drink anything but water with them in and only put them into a brushed mouth so I don’t find they get dirty. I just use the crystals or tablets to soak for 15 mins and brush the trays. I’ve not seen a sonic cleaner that can be used in a bathroom - they’ve all been mains - and I’m not keen on keeping a cleaner in my bedroom all the time so I can plug it in. I have a sonic jewellery cleaner so I know how they work, but I don’t know how trays get in need of sonic cleaning from saliva alone.

Yes we got one. The zima that Invisalign recommend. We used it with sterident. Worked fine. I’m pretty sure cheaper ones would do the same!!

I change my invisalign every week and just brush them when I brush my teeth.

Retainers though...how do you clean them?

Like a lot of people, I only got the zima cleaner once I’ve finished my ‘journey’ and had the retainers. I use sterident tablets every day but as well as the zima and they’re completely discoloured but I have had them years (5 years same one!!) and only wear at bedtime.
don’t bother investing in one until you have your retainers as your aligners are changed every 2 weeks and don’t get the chance to become discoloured. I must admit I drank with mine in and they still didn’t discolour. Just use a sterident tablet for them every day to kill bacteria.

I have the retainers. My orthodontist said to just brush them with toothpaste or washing up liquid, everything else is just pointless marketing. I do have a special brush she gave me, I suspect it’s a denture brush but it does get into all the nooks and crannies. She said the most important thing is to floss and brush your teeth effectively before popping them in at night. You can also leave a little toothpaste on the retainers after cleaning, that will help protect your teeth.