How to Use an Ultrasonic Dental Cleaner: A Simple Guide to Proper Oral Appliance Care

Oral hygiene is extremely important and it pertains to more than just your teeth. While brushing, flossing, using mouthwash, and any other steps that are involved in your daily oral hygiene regimen is important, it’s also crucial to include your retainers, aligners, mouthguards, and dentures on this list too.

It’s necessary to take the utmost care of your oral appliances and keep them as clean as possible, but hand brushing them isn’t always the easiest or best solution. Ultrasonic dental cleaners are simple, easy-to-use devices that make the process of keeping your oral appliances clean and all with the push of a button–but how do they work?

We’ll answer all of your questions including how to use an ultrasonic dental cleaner so you can make the decision if getting one will be money well spent!

What Are Ultrasonic Dental Cleaners? An Easy Tool to Keep Your Oral Appliances in Tip-Top Shape

Ultrasonic dental cleaners are unique devices that can keep oral appliances clean better than manually brushing or rinsing them!

Trying to hand brush different oral appliances such as dentures and retainers can be a semi-effective way to keep them clean, but you may be missing many nooks and crannies where dirt, bacteria, and food particles can be hidden. Just like brushing your teeth, it’s easy to miss spots and not get a fully effective clean of your oral appliances, but ultrasonic dental cleaners can make this process easier and less time consuming.

A Quick Intro to Ultrasonic Dental Cleaners and What They Are

Ultrasonic dental cleaners are like going to the dentist to get your teeth cleaned. While brushing and flossing your teeth at home twice a day is crucial to proper oral health, you may be missing some spots or not able to get in the places where plaque and bacteria could be building up. Ultrasonic dental cleaners are a great way to clean all the nooks and crannies of your dentures, retainers, and other oral appliances compared to having them sit overnight in solutions or hand-cleaning them.

These specific types of cleaners can be wired or wireless and they are small and compact and a great addition to any morning or nighttime routine you have. Many are often referred to as “pods” that have a lid where you can pop in your oral appliances and with the touch of a button, you can clean them and it does all of the magic on its own.

Once you turn the machine on, it uses high-frequency sound waves to create tiny, microscopic bubbles that form and collapse to clean oral appliances. The shock that is emitted from these small bubbles can help to dislodge any plaque, bacteria, stains, or even food particles that build-up on them. Many ultrasonic dental cleaners also include UV light, which helps to sanitize and disinfect them for a better, safer, and healthier clean.

How Much Are Ultrasonic Dental Cleaners?

Something that is important to consider when it comes to purchasing an ultrasonic dental cleaner is how much they cost. Typically, they cost anywhere from $50 to $200 depending on how much you’re willing to spend. There are many brands that are recommended by professionals, such as the popular Zima Dental Pod, and even Invisalign makes their own that you can purchase to clean your aligners and retainers. Regardless of your budget, there are many available that can clean your oral appliances and keep them in better shape than simply brushing or rinsing them.

How to Use an Ultrasonic Dental Cleaner: Your Ultimate Guide For the Best Clean

Ultrasonic dental cleaners are easy to use and only require a few simple steps to clean every oral appliance you own!

Before investing your money into an ultrasonic dental cleaner, you may be wondering how to even use one and what you’ll need before purchasing it. With just the cleaner and some cleaning tablets, you’ll be set to maximize your oral appliance cleaning and make it a part of your morning or night routine in no time!

Using an Ultrasonic Dental Cleaner–And Seeing How Easy it is!

The best part about purchasing an ultrasonic dental cleaner is that they all work very similarly despite what brand you get and how much you pay for it–plus the steps on how to use it are very easy to do and follow.

Here are the necessary steps to cleaning all of your oral appliances using an ultrasonic dental cleaner:

1. Fill the water tank with water (deionised or distilled water is recommended)
2. Add in the cleaning solution or tablets
3. Rinse off oral appliances you’re cleaning
4. Place all oral appliances in the basket (ensure that they’re all submerged in the water and not overcrowded)
5. Hit the button to start the cleaning process on the machine
6. Run for the recommended amount of time (depending on the cleaner you purchase, it could be anywhere from five to fifteen minutes)
7. Remove the basket and rinse your oral appliances
8. Let them air dry before using or putting them in a storage case or container

How Often Should You Use an Ultrasonic Dental Cleaner?

A question that is often asked is how often you should be cleaning your dentures, retainers, aligners, and other oral appliances you use on a daily basis. The answer is simple–you should clean them after every use! Keeping the oral appliances you put in your mouth clean just like you would brushing and flossing your teeth everyday is essential to prevent any bacteria, plaque, or tartar build-up, and even prevent more serious issues like tooth decay or gum disease.

Getting in the habit or using an ultrasonic dental cleaner every night is a great way to keep your oral appliances in the best shape possible. For daily maintenance, it is recommended to run the ultrasonic cleaners for around five to eight minutes and to do a deep cleaning once a week to get rid of tough stains and other types of build-up that can be missed. Depending on the brand you purchase, it can recommend different options for daily upkeep and deep cleanings to see effective results.

Cleaning the Ultrasonic Dental Cleaner

While cleaning your oral appliances is important, it is also crucial to keep the ultrasonic dental cleaner spotless too. Cleaning an ultrasonic dental cleaner is super easy to do and it’s important to avoid a build-up of mineral deposits, making sure that it can effectively and efficiently continue to clean your retainers and dentures.

After using it, empty and rinse the tank out with warm water to remove any residue leftover, then allow it to air dry. Once a month, it’s important to descale it using a cleaning solution that is often provided by the brand of your ultrasonic dental cleaner. Avoid using denture tablets, dish soap, or even mouthwash to clean it out as it can potentially damage the ultrasonic dental cleaner and its components.

Using an Ultrasonic Dental Cleaner is Easy and Key to Proper Oral Hygiene

Ultrasonic dental cleaners are a great addition to any oral hygiene routine–and dentists and orthodontists think so too!

When it comes down to ultrasonic dental cleaners, getting one to help you keep up with your oral hygiene routine is essential and recommended by many dentists and orthodontists. Dental professionals use them for their own instruments to sterilize them before using them on patients, which makes them an even better reason to use them for your oral appliances. Dentists and orthodontists also recommend them because it results in a more effective clean compared to manually brushing or rinsing them off after every use.

You can use them on dentures, aligners, retainers, and even mouthguards thanks to the high-frequency sound waves that create tiny bubbles that implode, which can effectively clean out plaque build-up, bacteria, and sanitize them. If dentists recommend them, then there’s no doubt that getting one can turn the cleaning that you dread into a simple and easy step all with the touch of a button.

Using an ultrasonic dental cleaner is easy to do, so consider purchasing one and make cleaning your oral appliances an easy step you won’t think twice about!If you’re in the Washington, PA area and are interested in an in-person appointment that can provide a ton of insight into the status of your oral health––consider contacting Elizabeth L. Wakim—exceptional smiles start here!