Can I clean my oral appliance with just a sterilizing tablet? (2024) - Dr. Jack Pinnar-Smith

Dr. Jack Pinnar-Smith: It's best to clean your oral appliance using a combination of a sterilizing tablet and an ultrasonic cleaner, such as the Dental pod. 

Sterilizing tablets are used to kill bacteria and other germs found on dental appliances.

The specific chemicals found in sterilizing tablets vary depending on the manufacturer and the type of tablet.

Common ingredients in sterilizing tablets include chlorine, glutaraldehyde, and hydrogen peroxide.

These chemicals are typically used in combination with other ingredients to create a solution that is effective at killing a wide range of microorganisms.

When you dissolve a sterilizing tablet in water, the resulting solution can be used to soak your dental appliance, effectively killing any bacteria or other germs that may be present.

It's generally not recommended to clean your dental appliance with just a sterilizing tablet.

While sterilizing tablets can kill bacteria and other germs, they may not be effective at removing plaque and other debris from your appliance.

It's important to clean your dental appliance thoroughly to remove any accumulated bacteria and debris, which can cause bad breath and other oral health issues.

It's best to clean your appliance using a combination of a sterilizing tablet and an ultrasonic cleaner, such as the Dental pod. This will help ensure that your appliance is properly cleaned and maintained.

A study using microscopes to look at dental plastics found that traditional cleaning methods, such only soaking in a chemical solution, remove significantly fewer microorganisms than ultrasonic cleaning with a sterilizing tablet.

I hope that you’re now more confident about taking care of your oral appliance. If you need more advice, please don’t hesitate to contact Zima Dental customer support at support@zimadental.ca