Terms of use: general information, not dental advice
By using RetainerCareGuide you agree to these terms. The first one matters most.
On this page (12)
General information, not dental or medical advice
The guides sum up owner reports, makers' directions and care guides such as the AAO's and KidsHealth's: general information on cleaning and carrying a retainer, clear aligner or night guard.
- No diagnosis. We cannot see your retainer or your mouth, or say whether yours fits, is damaged or is right for you.
- Your orthodontist comes first. Their instructions, and your appliance maker's care guide, come before anything here.
- Stop and call them about a crack, warping, a loose or broken wire, or a retainer that no longer fits, as the AAO's care guide advises.
- Cleaning products are not for the mouth. Retainer tablet makers warn against putting a tablet or its solution in your mouth, and against using them if you are allergic to persulfates. If someone swallows one, Efferdent's label says to contact a Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) at once.
- Pacemakers. Zima tells owners of a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device to consult their physician before use. Align says of its Ultrasonic Cleaner: "Do not use the Ultrasonic Cleaner if you have a pacemaker."
- Emergencies. For dental pain, an injury or a swallowed part, contact a dentist, urgent care or emergency services.
No guide is reviewed by a licensed dental professional, and no page is labeled "medically reviewed".
Using this site
RetainerCareGuide is free to read. You may read, print and share links to pages for your own use. Please don't copy whole guides, scrape the site or use it in a way that harms it or other readers.
What the guides are
Guides check products against their makers' specs, directions and warnings, and how the FDA classes the device type. We run no lab tests. Rankings and verdicts are our editorial judgment of those sources; how we pick sets out the method.
Makers' claims
A maker's claim, such as a germ-kill figure, is quoted with the maker named; we have not verified it ourselves. An FDA device class describes a type of device, not an approval of any product.
Products, prices and availability
We print no prices. Makers change products and directions, and stores change their stock. The maker's label and the store's product page are the final word, so check them before you buy.
Store links
Store links open the store; the disclosure page explains them. A purchase is between you and the store, under its own terms.
Owner quotes
Owner quotes are owners' own words, kept on file with their source. We may shorten a quote but never reword it or put words in an owner's mouth. Their experience is theirs, and yours may differ.
Trademarks
Product and brand names belong to their owners and are used only to say which product a guide covers. Naming a brand does not mean it endorses or is connected with this site.
Our content and photo credits
The text, drawings and layout belong to RetainerCareGuide. Owner quotes and stock photos belong to their authors and are used with permission or under their license; the photographers are credited below. Quoting a few lines is fine if you link to the page.
Photo credits
Pexels: Anna Shvets, Arturo A, cottonbro studio, Electra Studio, Engin Akyurt, Eva Bronzini, Fillipe Gomes, Hannah Grapp, Jahra Tasfia Reza, Karola G, Kindel Media, Kiran M, La Miko, Laura Beauty Designer, Laura James, Marcus Aurelius, MART PRODUCTION, Mateusz Pielech, Miriam Alonso, Nataliya Vaitkevich, Ron Lach, Sarah Chai, Timur Weber, Towfiqu Barbhuiya, Valentin Ivantsov, Victor Castardo.
Unsplash: Aurela Redenica, Diana Polekhina, Geniova Technologies, Harold Hisona, Katarzyna Zygnerska, Ozkan Guner, Serge Kutuzov.
Liability
We work to keep every guide accurate and re-check each one once a quarter, but the site is provided as it is, with no promise that every detail is current or complete. To the extent the law allows, RetainerCareGuide is not responsible for loss or damage from using the site, from a product you buy, or from a care step you follow without your orthodontist's advice.
When these terms change
The date at the top changes with these terms, and the new text applies from then on.
Contact
Questions about these terms, or a mistake you have spotted: the contact page or [email protected].