If you wear a retainer, whether it's a Hawley retainer, a clear retainer, a Damon retainer, a ceramic retainer, or a lingual retainer, you already know that it's important to rinse it in clean water multiple times per day. You also probably know that you should clean it at least once per day with a product like the CustMbite All Natural Oral Appliance Cleaner. Using a product like the CustMbite All Natural Oral Appliance Cleaner ensures your retainer or other oral appliance will remain free of harmful bacteria and viruses. It also keeps the retainer clean and keeps it from acquiring a cloudy appearance.

But what do you do to disinfect your retainer if you're actually sick? Should you even wear your retainer when you're sick? Continue reading to find out what to do with your retainer during and after an illness like a cold, the flu, or Covid-19.

Retainers and Illness

First of all, yes, you should definitely continue wearing your retainer during an illness. The retainer doesn't cause you to get any more sick than you already are. Not wearing the retainer while you're ill could be detrimental to your orthodontic progress, so it's essential that you wear it every day, even when an illness has taken hold.

That being said, it's important that you rinse your retainer off even more frequently during an illness. You may also want to clean it two or three times a day with the CustMbite All Natural Oral Appliance Cleaner. This is easy to do, because all you have to do is spray on the cleaner, wipe it off, and rinse the retainer in water. It will then be minty fresh and ready to pop back in your mouth.

How to Disinfect Your Retainer After Your Illness

Once your illness is over, it might be a good idea to do a “deep clean” of your retainer or other oral appliance, such as dentures, sports mouthguards, or dental bridges. This can ensure that at least 99% of the bacteria and virus is removed so you don't get sick again because of lingering germs on your retainer, snore guard, or other oral appliance.

There are a variety of natural disinfecting routines you could choose from, but many have some serious downsides. For one, you could soak your retainer in vinegar for about five hours. That would definitely get rid of all the germs. But can you imagine putting the retainer back in your mouth after that? Gross. While vinegar is an effective disinfectant, it's not exactly tasty. Another disinfectant is hydrogen peroxide. However, that comes with the same distaste as vinegar.

One potential disinfecting solution is baking soda, which can be made into a paste with water and spread onto your retainer or other oral appliance, left for a couple of hours, and rinsed off. Not only is that a messy way to disinfect your retainer, but it's quite abrasive. That abrasion leads to small scratches in your retainer, which is where bacteria loves to hide. It also leads to unsightly discoloration.

Would it surprise you to know that the same daily cleaner you use, the CustMbite All Natural Oral Appliance Cleaner, is also the best way to disinfect your retainer after an illness? It's true. All you have to do is spray the cleaner on the retainer or other oral appliance, leave it on for two hours, rub it off with a soft cloth, and rinse the appliance. It couldn't be easier.

I Want the Best Retainer Disinfecting Solution

The CustMbite All Natural Oral Appliance Cleaner is the most effective, easy-to-use, and minty-fresh way to disinfect your retainer on a daily basis or after an illness. It's made 100% in the U.S.A., so you can be sure it's made according to U.S. regulations and is safe to use. Order the best retainer disinfecting solution online today and you can be sure your retainer won't be adding to your misery next time you get ill.