According to a recent study, held by the researchers at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute, poor cleaning may allow for build-up of microbes on orthodontic retainers.
The study was published in the "Society for Applied Microbiology's," journal Letters in Applied Microbiology. Dr Jonathan Pratten, together with his team studied the types of microbes which live on retainers. The study showed that potentially pathogenic microbes were growing on at least 50 percent of the retainers. This may very well indicate a need for the development of improved cleaning products for orthodontic retainers.
Dr. Pratten and his colleagues took samples from the mouths of people who did not wear retainers and those who did (one of the two most widely used types). Taking into consideration the fact that the retainers are often removed and then replaced, the potential for transmission of microbes becomes much higher.
It is no secret that there are a lot of various types of bacteria in our mouths, and some of them promote oral health. In this case however, the researchers were looking for microbes that are not usually met in the oral cavity. Dr Pratten and his team found that Candida and Staphylococcus were present on 66.7 percent and 50 percent of retainers.
These species of microorganisms usually do not cause problems in healthy individuals but could be highly problematic in people with a week immune system.
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