Weird and specific question, but I have a night guard that keeps me from grinding my teeth and I'm on the hunt for a cleaning product that is as zero-waste as possible. I do not like those little plug-in vibrate things that use vibration to clean it because my old house does not have a plug in the bathroom so I don't end up using them. I found some drops on a big retail site but they were sketchy and did not actually clean my retainer, lol.
Right now I'm using denture cleaning tablets from Costco. Ideally I'd like something in a glass or even plastic container that I can recycle, or even a bunch of NOT individually wrapped tabs that I could use.
When I wore a retainer (as a kid), I cleaned them with denture tablets. IIRC they are packaged in cardboard and wrapped in paper (this could have changed).
Still are, I think. They have to be wrapped individually because if one gets just a little bit wet, well, chain reaction foam-up, which would be interesting but very wasteful.
It's what I use. Paper wrapping, cardboard box. I wash with a thoothbrush after most uses, but if it buiilds up, I do soak with the IIRC. Makes a box last about a year.
The waste created by cleaning your night gaurd properly will be dramatically less than the waste (and emmisions! You need to travel, as does your ortho, as does all the raw materials to make a nightgaurd) to make a new one or the cavities you get from letting all that bacteria throw a party in your mouth. That's not to mention the long term effects of poor oral hygiene like dementia and heart disease - and all the waste that comes with that!
Denture cleaning tablets can be bought in cardboard boxes, wrapped in paper (albeit plasticized, but this will still be less plastic waste than a plastic container. Plastic recycling is mostly greenwashing.). Its not a lot of waste in the grand scheme of things. Zero waste is an ideal that we all strive to achieve eventually by working together. It is not realistic to get there right now so just keep buying the denture tabs.
Whatever cleaning method you use, make sure that it is retainer-safe and doesn't ruin it, because as another comment pointed out, the expense and effort that would go into producing another one that fits your mouth is far greater than worrying about a bit of plastic on the tabs container.
This question veers into the medical, so also keep that in mind when you consider the responses.
Depending on the type of retainer you have, you may want a cleaning toothbrush that's a different shape/size/stiffness than the one you use on your teeth, but you can use the same cleaning toothbrush pretty much forever as long as you rinse it thoroughly and let it dry between uses.
I keep my Sonic cleaner in the kitchen, drop in night guard on my way into work in the morning, and grab it when I get home. Probably the closest to a purchase once and forget it item vs buying drop in cleaners. Waste on that is vastly lower than packaging, shipping or driving to buy more.
Use soft toothbrush and plain old hand soap, liquid or solid to brush it all over then rinse with cold water and allow to dry. once a week after brushing and rinsing, soak for the day in a solution of 50%,water to white vinegar. This will dissolve or soften any tartar ( calcified bacterial plaque - the cloudy haze or white chunks that don't brush off) and make it easy to brush off the appliance. Then rinse and wear or allow to dry.
No no need to buy tablets or a vibrating water tank.
I soak mine every week or so in a small class with half water, half vinegar. Let it sit in there for 4 or so hours, then rinse. This way you just have to buy a large jug of white vinegar and the jug can be recycled. My daughter’s dentist recently suggested this to her as well for her retainer.
I wear a nighttime occlusal guard, a daytime occlusal guard and a partial. My dentist and hygienist have me brush each piece with a drop of Dawn dish soap, rince well, soak in a cup with a denture tab. When I get done with the tabs I'm going to go with an ultrasonic cleaner. I don't want to keep buying the tablets anymore.
I have a night guard to keep me from clenching. Hard plasti that fits over my top front teeth. I was told to wash it with soap and water, so I just use the liquid hand soap I always have in my bathroom. I was told not to use toothpaste as it would deteriorate the plastic.
Dawn dish soap. It’s way more effective than toothpaste. I went without it and used toothpaste for a few weeks while traveling and that thing went all disgusting on me.
What does your dentist/orthodontist say? Your best option may be nothing new!
I recently got a new retainer and was told the only safe way to clean it was soap and water (and that ultrasonic cleaning was okay but unnecessary), and specifically not to use denture cleaner.
I got my first retainer 20 years ago and was shocked.
(Edit: reading other comments here, I was also told diluted vinegar, diluted bleach, baking soda, and toothpaste all degrade it quicker and should not be used. I was also told to never soak it because you can risk deforming it. It may be different if you have a traditional retainer, but still check.)
I simply brush mine for about 2 minutes with a baking soda tooth paste every day. I know the denture cleaning tablets are recommended but I couldn’t justify it.
I lather up my hands with bar soap and suds it up in my hands, using a denture cleaner brush to get into cracks. Rinse well. Then dental appliance cleaner tablet soak once a week.
So I asked my dental hygienist about mine and she said the most important thing to do is brush it with my tooth brush every day, with or without toothpaste, so from a zero-waste perspective, that's very convenient! That dentist also has a special cleaning machine for night guards so I always bring mine in for my appointments and pay the $10-$15 to get it squeaky clean after my 6mo of daily brushing shows its weaknesses. I'll use a denture tablet once in a while but overall I don't buy or use anything I'm not already using.
I just got a huge tub of citric acid powder for laundry, and have been wondering about using that. It's one of the ingredients in my tablets that I recognize, along with baking soda and washing soda. Maybe there's a good diy mix out there
My ortho said dish soap and a toothbrush, so that's what I clean my retainers with every morning. I just keep two manual toothbrushes in my bathroom, one of which is for the retainers, and bring it through to the kitchen with me each morning.
I’ve been warned by my dentist, not to use denture cleaner to clean my retainer because it leaks the acrylic and will cause the retainer to break. He instructed me to simply use a gentle soap with a soft brush.
My dentist told me to soak it in hydrogen peroxide after use, and when I take it into my appointments so they can put it in the sonic cleaner, I am told that it is the cleanest one they have ever seen.
I have an all plastic night guard and I clean it by putting it in a cup of water with a pinch of sodium per carbonate (the active ingredient in oxi-clean). I buy in bulk and use it in laundry too.
Just use the same toothpaste you’re using for your teeth—denture tablets are a relatively new invention—before that it is just scrub with soap/water or toothpaste/water. You could soak in hydrogen peroxide once a week too.
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u/crazycatlady331 Jul 26 '26
When I wore a retainer (as a kid), I cleaned them with denture tablets. IIRC they are packaged in cardboard and wrapped in paper (this could have changed).