Is it bad to leave retainers in water for the whole day?

Question: I don't mean leaving it in water as a cleaning method; I mean after it is cleaned, does if affect or damage the retainer in any way if we leave it in a cup of plain water until the next time we wear it?

It's just that I find it easier to leave it in water rather than rinsing it off after cleaning it, and then rinsing it again to wear it.

Answers:
Retainers are made out of acrylic and surgical stainless steel. Leaving them in a cup of water will not harm them in any way. I was a lab tech for an orthodontist when I was in college. I learned to make retainers and repair them. I never had anyone come to me for repairs because they'd been leaving it in water. In fact, if you're in the habit of leaving your retainers in water during the day (you should be wearing them at night), you may want to even toss in an Efferdent tablet to help clean them (dentures are also made from acrylic).

All in all, water and basic dental cleaning solutions won't physically harm your retainers even if you leave them to soak for days. Just remember that bacteria and molds can begin to build-up in the water pretty quickly, so while it won't damage the actual retainer, I wouldn't leave them in water (or Efferdent or another dental appliance detergent) for more than a day or so.

Other Answers:
Well I've never had to wear a retainer but I do think that it wouldn't hurt to leave it in a cup of water, a person's mouth has more acids in it than water does so I would imagine it wouldn't effect it in the least.

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I don't think so but thay's my opinon after it's clean it doesn't affect anything so don't drop in a glass and let it sit there the whole day if you want. If your using tap water the minerals and other "funk" in it may make it corrode or have calcium deposits over time.
I think if you were to use distilled water that would be the best way.

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