I've recently started having to wear a mouth guard during the night, and I decided I would buy a storage box for it as the dentist had only given me a Ziplok bag to keep it in. When I was browsing an online store for one of the boxes I spotted a product called Retainer Brite, after reading the description I thought I would buy a box and try it out.

Retainer Brite is a cleaner for braces and mouth guards; it comes in a tablet form which you have to dissolve in order to use it. The product claims to stop the build up of harmful bacteria which can lead to discolouration of the appliance and potentially cause bad breath.
Each box contains 36 tablets which is one months supply (if you use the cleaner on a daily basis) The tablets come in strips which remind me of dissolvable aspirin packets, with four in each strip. To use you simply tear open one of the tabs and place the tablet in a glass (or cup) of warm, but not hot water. When the tablet starts fizzing you place the appliance in to the water which will turn a blue colour. For wire braces you are advised not to leave them in the water for more than five minutes but for a mouth guard you can leave them in until the water turns clear (ten to twenty minutes). Then you rinse the appliance thoroughly under running water.

Using Retainer Brite I find that it is quick to dissolve, however I have found that the water never turns completely clear again so I just remove my mouth guard after it has been in for twenty minutes or so. After use I find that my mouth guard has a nice minty fragrance to it and does look nice and clean, it hasn't suffered from any discolouration yet and I have had it for a few months now.

I also find that the glass is easy to clean after I have used this aswell, as I thought it might be a bit difficult where it had frothed up.

I have to admit that I don't use this on a daily basis, as most days I give the mouth guard a clean with a baby toothbrush and toothpaste, which works well but I do like to use Retainer Brite as something "extra". This means I only use it a couple of times a week rather than daily as recommended but I find this works well for me. If I was using it for a brace, which would be in place while I was eating food I probably would use it every day.

A box of 36 tablets will cost you around £5 per box, I bought mine from www.orthostore.co.uk for £4.75, and you can save a few pence per box by buying 3 or 6 months' supply at a time. I'm sure I have also seen this for sale at my Dentist Surgery as well, so I might enquire there when I need a new box so I can save on postage costs.

I don't think this is a must have product if you wear a brace or a mouth guard, but it is something I will buy again for keeping my mouth guard clean and fresh.