If you’re having Invisalign teeth straightening treatment or wear other braces or retainers, you need to buy this nifty little device, says beauty and wellness editor Laura Mulley
If you’re going through or have completed professional teeth straightening treatments using clear braces such as Invisalign, you’ll probably know that the retainers can be a pain to keep clean and fresh, especially over time. Luckily I’ve found a solution – and it took me completely by surprise.
I completed my Invisalign treatment a couple of years ago but even once you’ve finished wearing the daily trays, you still have to wear thicker, longer-lasting plastic retainers every night – forever. Even with the most diligent brushing every morning and soaking in Retainer Brite Cleaning Tablets each week, they inevitably start to look a bit grotty after a while. I had recently enquired with my new dentist about ordering a new set, and was told this would cost me £400 for a scan and the retainers – however, this nifty gadget has saved me this money, at least for the meantime.
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Pros
- Removes years of plaque build-up in just five minutes
- Quick and easy to use
- Looks chic and compact
- Could save you money on replacement braces
Cons
- Initial cost is quite expensive
- Makes a slight buzzing noise when it’s running
I’d seen adverts for the Zima Dental Pod pop up on my Instagram all the time but, in all honesty, I thought it was a bit of a scam: I hadn’t heard of the brand before, I was seeing a lot of ads, and I couldn’t imagine who something so simple would work on my retainers with their years of ingrained plague (I’ll spare you the ‘before’ photos but, honestly, it looked gross).
However, I did a bit of research and noticed these little pods were also stocked on Boots, a retailer I trust, and had lots of positive reviews, so I bit the bullet and bought one.
Priced at £79.99 and available in four colours on the Boots website, Zima Dental Pods use high frequency ultrasonic vibrations to remove plaque and bacteria from aligners, retainers, dentures and mouth guards in just five minutes. They’re as easy as anything to use – simply fill with a little water (and one of the Ultrasonic Sterilizing Tablets it comes with, if you like), press the button then wait until the cleaning cycle has finished.
After just one use, I honestly couldn’t believe the results on my retainer. Whereas before they were cloudy and grubby-looking, now – while not exactly looking brand new – they were clear and clean, and Zima’s sterilising tablets gives them a fresh, minty aftertaste.
While just shy of £80 it’s not cheap, but the Zima has definitely prolonged the life of my aligners, and saved me an expensive dentist bill, for now at least. I’d recommend that anyone who has, or has had, removable braces buys it.
Although I haven’t tried them and so can’t vouch for their quality, there are also a number of cheaper ultrasonic brace cleansers available to buy on Amazon, including the Exluvon Ultrasonic Retainer Cleaner, now £30.99, and the Hangsun Ultrasonic UV Cleaner Machine, now £33.99.
