Clear aligners
A simpler routine for your new trays
8 ways SteriSmile helps you get rid of the nasty smell from your new retainers
You started wearing them for a better smile. You didn't expect to dread putting them back in.
The first time you notice it, you give your trays another rinse.
Then you brush your teeth. Wash the trays again. Smell them.
Still there.
Then there's the unpleasant taste when they go back in.
Now it's more than an unpleasant smell. It's that thought during a work lunch, across the dinner table, or just before a kiss:
“If I can smell this, can they smell it on my breath?”
You already care about your hygiene. But brushing your teeth doesn't clean the appliance that goes back over them. Saliva and residue can collect on retainers, and bacteria can contribute to that unpleasant odor. The American Association of Orthodontists explains why regular retainer cleaning matters.
SteriSmile gives your trays a cleaning routine of their own, using ultrasonic sound waves and built-in UV-C in one countertop pod.
Here are eight ways it can make that part of treatment easier.
Help lift away the buildup behind that smell
Putting a smelly tray over freshly brushed teeth feels awful. You want to feel clean, and this one thing keeps undoing that feeling.
SteriSmile's ultrasonic action creates tiny bubbles in the water that help loosen residue from the tray's surface. After the cycle, you rinse the trays before wearing them again.
The point is to clean the tray itself, instead of trying to cover an unpleasant smell with another mint.
Clean around those little curves without chasing each one with a brush
Clear trays have tooth-shaped pockets, dips, and edges. Trying to scrub around them can feel fiddly, especially when you're already late.
With the trays properly immersed, SteriSmile's ultrasonic action works through the surrounding water to help loosen residue along those surfaces.
Less picking at awkward little spots. An easier way to give your trays attention.
Get ultrasonic cleaning and UV-C in the same pod
You don't need your bathroom counter to become a collection of cleaning gadgets.
SteriSmile brings ultrasonic cleaning and a built-in UV-C feature together in one closed pod.
Load it, close the lid, and run the cycle. One place to do your tray care.
Spend less time hunched over the sink
You've already added taking your trays out, keeping track of them, and putting them back in to your day.
Cleaning them shouldn't have to become another long project.
SteriSmile runs its cleaning cycle hands-free. Once you've loaded it and started the cycle, you can get on with your routine, then rinse your trays afterward.
Less time spent scrubbing is one more reason to actually keep up with it.
Give your trays a cleaning routine of their own.
Get SteriSmile for $57.99Fit tray care into the time you already spend getting ready
You don't need to set aside a whole new part of your morning.
Start the appropriate cleaning cycle while you do your hair, put on your earrings, or get dressed. SteriSmile gives you a short cleaning session you can work into time your trays are already out.
A routine that fits a real morning is easier to repeat on a busy one.
Get ahead of buildup before the smell becomes your reminder
It's tempting to wait until your trays smell bad enough to bother you.
But residue doesn't wait for a convenient moment. Letting it dry and accumulate can make cleaning harder.
Keep SteriSmile somewhere handy and make tray cleaning a regular habit, following your appliance's care instructions.
You don't need to wait for another “ugh, not again” moment to give them a clean.
Handle the embarrassing part at home
Maybe you've searched “why do my new aligners smell?” on your phone and hoped nobody saw the screen.
This feels personal. You want something practical you can do in your own bathroom.
SteriSmile gives you that at-home cleaning step before you head out.
The goal is simple: spend dinner thinking about the person across from you, instead of replaying the last time you smelled your trays.
Keep the same routine when it's time for the next tray
A new set of aligners doesn't remove the need to clean them.
SteriSmile is made for compatible retainers and clear aligners, so you can keep a familiar routine as you move through treatment. If you move to a compatible retainer later, that habit can come with you. Check your appliance's care instructions before use.
You learn the routine once, then keep using it for the trays that come next.
Start with the trays you'll put back in tonight
You don't have to wait for the smell to get worse.
Give the appliance you wear every day a regular place in your cleaning routine. Fill SteriSmile with fresh cool water as directed, add your compatible trays, close the lid, run the appropriate cycle, and rinse afterward. Follow the instructions for your device and any compatible cleaning tablet.
You invested in feeling good about your smile. Giving your trays a simple daily routine is a practical next step toward feeling better about putting them back in.
SteriSmile Ultrasonic Sanitizing Pod
1-year replacement warranty
If your SteriSmile breaks within the first year, we'll send you a replacement.
Keep brushing and flossing, cleaning your case, and following your orthodontist's care and wear instructions. If odor or an unpleasant taste persists despite cleaning, ask your dentist or orthodontist. Breath odor can have causes beyond your trays.