Denture cleaner

introduction

Straight teeth are an ideal of beauty that is sought after today. Almost 70% of all children encounter an orthodontist as they grow up and more and more adults are becoming aware of straight teeth.

The orthodontist uses appliances, commonly known as braces, to bring the teeth into the best aesthetic and functional shape. These devices quickly develop a tendency to develop a bacterial biofilm and thereby accumulate tartar. The bacterial coating must be removed in order to protect the oral cavity from inflammation. But how can these braces be cleaned effectively? Are there cleaning options that are harmful to the plastic or metal elements? What should be paid attention to in order to thoroughly clean the braces and keep them in good working order over the long term?

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What types of braces cleaners are there?

In general, there is no uniform doctrine for cleaning braces, but there are many options. The gentlest option is to wash the orthodontic appliance every day with warm water and soap. A soft toothbrush helps to reach all parts of the braces.

There are special tabs for removable dentures (e.g. for full dentures) that can also be used to clean the braces. But there are also special tabs for the braces available. These have a different composition than the preparations for cleaning dentures. They consist of salts such as calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate or silicates. When brushing with a toothbrush, these coarse-grained salts ensure that the plastic is removed - they are abrasive. As a result, the bacterial film that adheres to the braces after wearing them loosens and harder deposits such as tartar are removed.
During use, the braces are placed in a bath with the tablet dissolved in water for three to five minutes and then rinsed off with warm water. The toothbrush is also used for massive coverings.

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There are also dental braces cleaners in gel form that work on the basis of citric acid and, like the cleaning tablets, also contain salts. This gel is applied to the orthodontic appliance and incorporated with a special brush to clean it. The low-dose citric acid is supposed to loosen the deposits and still be gentle on the plastic base.

Another variant is to clean the braces with a conventional toothbrush and toothpaste like your own teeth. However, this can change the surface of the plastic plate and tend to break.

One of the most effective cleaning methods for daily cleaning is the ultrasonic cleaning bath. The results are satisfactory and the braces are protected.
Furthermore, home remedies for cleaning orthodontic appliances are enjoying increasing popularity.

What should you think of tabs?

The special cleaning tabs for braces consist of various coarse-grained salts. By simply placing the braces in a water bath with dissolved tablets, not all deposits are usually dissolved and the cleaning result is not satisfactory. If a brush is also used, the coarse grains of salt have a very strong abrasive effect and thus attack the plastic.
The plastic becomes rough, creating a surface to which bacteria and plaque can adhere even better. Furthermore, the relatively soft plastic becomes thinner due to abrasion and can break more easily. As a cleaning option, the tabs are one of the most expensive variants and because of their damaging effect on plastics, they are not recommended for long-term cleaning of the braces.

What happens if you accidentally swallow braces cleaner?

The cleaning tabs consist primarily of different salts. If the solution is swallowed, the salt will draw water from the body and the stool will thin. As a result, the affected person has severe diarrhea. If this scenario happens accidentally, the person concerned should drink a lot of water to compensate. However, accidental ingestion is not a cause for concern. A doctor should be consulted for more severe symptoms such as severe abdominal cramps.

How do I use a braces cleaner correctly?

The instructions for use of the individual cleaning methods vary.

• With the cleaning tabs, the braces should first be rinsed off with water. The cleaning tablet is then dissolved in water at 40 degrees Celsius and the braces are placed in this bath for three to five minutes. Additional mechanical treatment with a brush or similar is not necessary according to the instructions. After the exposure time, the orthodontic appliance should only be rinsed with water. It is noticeable that coarse deposits on the braces cannot be removed by simply inserting them. Mechanical application with a brush is then recommended, but preferably before inserting in order to protect the plastic.
  
• When using cleaners in gel form, a pea-sized portion of the gel should be applied to the braces and worked into all surfaces with a special brush. The cleaning process of the braces takes about 3 - 4 minutes. After use, the orthodontic appliance is simply rinsed off thoroughly with water.
  
• When using an ultrasonic bath, the orthodontic appliance is placed in the bath and the timer is set to 3 - 5 minutes, longer or shorter depending on the degree of contamination. Due to the vibrations of the ultrasonic crystal, stubborn deposits are blasted off the braces without damaging the base. This method is also used in dental laboratories for professional cleaning and is also well suited for cleaning dentures, glasses and jewelry.

Home remedies for cleaning braces

Home remedies are also becoming increasingly popular for cleaning orthodontic appliances. Variants include vinegar and citric acid, both of which are acid-based.
The use of sodium salt or baking powder, which mechanically removes coarse deposits with a toothbrush, should also produce satisfactory results. It should be noted that both baking powder and baking soda are very coarse-grained and that brushing with a toothbrush will severely remove the soft plastic. With regular use, the plastic base becomes thinner and thinner and can break more easily. Furthermore, it becomes rough due to the abrasion of the coarse-grained powder and can promote the adhesion of a bacterial biofilm such as tartar. We therefore advise against these two variants.
But how should the use of vinegar and citric acid be assessed?

Vinegar for cleaning the braces

Household vinegar is based on the effects of acetic acid. In highly diluted solutions, acetic acid is used in special cleaning solutions for dentures such as full dentures. The acid reliably removes the mechanical biofilm, but in high concentrations it can also damage the plastic of the prosthesis or braces and weaken them. This makes it easier for the plastic base to break.

Therefore, acetic acid in low-concentration solutions is a good way to clean the braces daily, but it is not easy to prepare an equivalent low-concentration solution yourself. It is therefore advisable to use a ready-made cleaning solution especially for dentures and braces and not to dilute them yourself from household vinegar.

Citric acid as a cleaner for braces

Citric acid as a home remedy for cleaning braces is similar to acetic acid. In solutions with a low concentration, it is definitely a good way to clean the braces, but the concentration is difficult to reproduce and assess. In order not to damage the base of the brace, it is better to use ready-mixed products.

Can you make braces cleaner yourself?

Theoretically, it is possible to prepare a dilute acid solution for cleaning from vinegar and citric acid, but the concentration cannot be detected without technical aids. This makes it difficult to assess whether the concentration is still too high or not. For this reason, domestic production is not recommended.