As a dentist I often find that the staining is not always on the appliance itself, but on/in the calcified deposits. The calcium deposits come from your saliva, like Tartar/calculus on your teeth. The key is to prevent or remove these deposits. Ultrasonic baths will not do this. What may work (and I'm yet to try) is to soak the appliance in white vinegar first to soften the calcium, maybe even add vinegar to the ultrasonic water to acidify it.
You're missing out. I took the plunge almost a year ago and it's a game changer. I can't even imagine how I made it without it. My retainers went from embedded brown and yellow stains and covered constantly in plaque, to looking pristine and crystal clear. I never saw plaque on them again after buying this unit.
I have come to love rhis channel and value your reviews. Thia is the only one Ive watched where I disagree. At 1st I was disappointed too without magical results after doing what you do here, but aftwr discovering how to properly remove stains and calcification this thing has become a game changer. You need to soak them overnight or over the day (I used a whitening denture tablet) before running unit for 10 minutes. They suggest you do this for 2 weeks. Before thw end of that time my badly stained brown and yellow aligners that I had to literally scrape plaque off of with a toothpick, became crystal clear and pristine. To maintain them, operaing normally daily does the trick. If I ever am bad and consume a dark beverage with them in, I just soak them for a few hours and then run thw unit for 10 minutes and theyre perfect. Ive had the Zima Dental Pod for almost a year now and couldn't be loving it more. Ita made my daily oral hygiene routine so much easier and better.
Thanks for the comment. So the denture cleaning tablet is doing a lot of the work to break down the stains etc. The ultrasonic cleaner is then just getting rid of the softened particles that the denture cleaner has broken down. Great that this works for you, but for those wearing aligners, they can't leave them out all day or overnight for this soaking to occur. They can only generally have them out for a few minutes. If a retainer is being cleaned that is a bit of a different situation.
Thank you for this review. I had the same experience: it works well for keeping aligners looking new, not so great for cleaning well-worn dirty ones. I'm going to keep the zima pod and use it regularly as I continue invisalign, but as another reviewer said a regular ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and a tablet would work just as well but for much cheaper.
I've had it for a year and it actually works fantastic for stained and calcified aligners...if done right. Use an overnight whitening denture tablet in it. Soak overnight (or over the day) then run for 10 minutes. In less than 2 weeks of doing this they are pristine. After that, just use normally with a tablet each day to maintain. If you stain them again, 1 soak and 10 minute run should have them brand new again. I'm loving this thing.
Thanks for the review. I've been using a night guard since 1994 & started cleaning it with regular denture cleaning tablets around 2000 or so. That guard lasted from 1994-2018, not a bad run! Of course, it was not very pretty but it was clean every night going in, it just literally broke. I've been using the same method on my newest night guard (I got it in about 2022) and it's doing great. Home to have it for 24 years, too! I don't plan on buying this device, since my current method works well for me.
Thanks looking for review and this doesn’t look to be solution for my retainers. If anyone has slightly dirty retainers I recommend long term method I found from YT from dentist, 1 part cleaning vinegar, 2 parts warm water and touch baking soda and give them good scrub with toothbrush I have cleaned up my yellow retainers for last few years few times good and proper 👍 timing wise is depending on yellow can be your to overnight to let vinegar do it’s job.
I use a regular ultrasonic cleaner, use official invisalign cleaner and my trays are sparkling. They never had that level of build up as yours which look fully calcified, try soaking in vinegar so something maybe to soften the deposits.
totally agree, I purchased 2 and have not seen any results whatsoever. I have taken my appliance to the dentist and he cleaned it perfectly and at no cost
I'm glad I bought one and everything about it seems high quality, including the packaging, EXCEPT the power cord (I'm in 🇨🇦) We put ours away after each use, and pulling out the power cord and plugging it in is a weird experience because it is an ugly, permanently coiled, cheap-as-it-gets power cord. Not essential for cleaning but a negative part of the daily experience.
We find the Zima ultrasonic to be effective cleaning, it works well for my husband who does want to use chemicals on his retainers. I use the tablets with my once a week. It’s refreshes the retainer and helps me be more compliment with wearing them at night. The discolouration the reviewer complains about isn’t a problem if your retainer Is new when you start using it.
Thank you for taking the time to review this product. You saved me a lot of money. My bleaching trays have developed a white film over the years. Is that bacteria? Have you found a product that can remove this stain? It will cost me $400 to replace the trays😬
I don't know exactly what the film is to be honest. It could be a reaction of the plastic to the whitening gel that naturally happens over time. Your dentist might be able to suggest a product/solution to clean the trays for effectively.
Not for $100 USD it isn't... and I see a 30% improvement from much cheaper cleaners and a toothbrush. I use "stain away"... for less than $10 I get it as clean and don't take up precious counter space. An item like this will have to do better than 30% to get on my vanity.
Do you have other ones in particular you would like us to cover? As it stands we have no immediate plans to review other, but we might change our minds.
Great videos! I watched your video about Mold in Oral-B brush heads. Have you tried putting the brush heads in your ultrasonic cleaner? I put my Oral-B Clic manual toothbrush heads (which seems like they're about to be discontinued, which lead me to your videos) in my ultrasonic clear and it seems to work well. My ultrasonic cleaner also has a UV light in them.
Hey. Thanks for the kind words. I have not tried putting the heads in an ultrasonic cleaner. It isn't a bad idea. But, I feel like I shouldn't have to.
Hi, thanks for this video. It’s really made me reconsider purchasing one. Can I ask what aligner cleaner you use, please? I’m on the Vivera retainers and they’ve gone cloudy through brushing them clean. I’d love to use a proper, recommended cleaner but am scared in case they cause damage to them. At £750 to replace them (set of three) this isn’t something I can afford to do on a regular basis. Any guidance gratefully received, please. Many thanks.
Hey. My go to aligner cleaning are the Retainer Brite Cleaning Tablets. They seem to do the job. I am not sure if they will bring back retainers that have gone cloudy (maybe depending how bad), but I've always been pleased with how they have made them feel fresher. Vivera retainers are expensive as these are the 'branded' ones. It is possible to get more cost effective alternatives, many dentists can make them/source them. How much price difference will depend, but it should be possible to save quite a bit, if you do need new ones.
I've tried so many ultrasonic cleaners for my aligners and none of them clean as they advertise. You would think for $100 this one would work well, but as I expected, it doesn't work any different than a $20 cleaner. Oh well... i give up.
Thanks for the review. I have just bought something v similar. I can hear a very gentle buzzing but can’t feel a thing. Certainly no Jurassic park style vibrations visible. Is this right? Does this sound like it’s working properly?
I have one for night and I have used it for years, I use a cleaner tab once a week and brush them with water before use, that's all. I also wear them right after brushing my teeth. Whenever they are replaced they always comment they look great, a little cloudy but not discoloured.
Soak retainers in water and baking soda. You can also use water and vinegar to refresh them. BUT NOT TOGETHER! "Is Using Baking Soda and Vinegar Together a Good Idea? The short answer is no. And the long answer goes like this: When used together, baking soda and vinegar will neutralize each other, effectively canceling out the benefits of low pH for vinegar and high pH for baking soda."
probably a stupid question but will my retainers be safe to put in my mouth when its done ultra sonic cleaning? Its just water correct? Do i I have to rinse it or anything prior to putting them in my mouth?
Assuming you are cleaning them by brushing them with a toothbrush. Have you soaked in a retainer cleaner? If that worried, perhaps it might be cost effective/sensible to get a new retainer and focus on keeping that as clean as possible?
Theoretically as far as I am aware yes. I've not tried so can't comment on how effective it would be. Given my experience I don't think they would be great.
You can use for a lot longer. Brands want you to replace them because they earn from it. They can wear/split over time so it is worth replacing occasionally or at least have your dentist assess the fit and durability on your next checkup.
As a dentist I often find that the staining is not always on the appliance itself, but on/in the calcified deposits. The calcium deposits come from your saliva, like Tartar/calculus on your teeth. The key is to prevent or remove these deposits. Ultrasonic baths will not do this. What may work (and I'm yet to try) is to soak the appliance in white vinegar first to soften the calcium, maybe even add vinegar to the ultrasonic water to acidify it.
hey, what's going on?
I'm thinking about getting one of these machines.
did you end up soaking into white vinegar first? did it help in any way?
I’ve been contemplating whether to buy this but after watching your video, no thank you. Thank you for this video. You have saved me from spending £70
You're missing out. I took the plunge almost a year ago and it's a game changer. I can't even imagine how I made it without it. My retainers went from embedded brown and yellow stains and covered constantly in plaque, to looking pristine and crystal clear. I never saw plaque on them again after buying this unit.
@@GalaxyNexus1bot
I have come to love rhis channel and value your reviews. Thia is the only one Ive watched where I disagree. At 1st I was disappointed too without magical results after doing what you do here, but aftwr discovering how to properly remove stains and calcification this thing has become a game changer. You need to soak them overnight or over the day (I used a whitening denture tablet) before running unit for 10 minutes. They suggest you do this for 2 weeks. Before thw end of that time my badly stained brown and yellow aligners that I had to literally scrape plaque off of with a toothpick, became crystal clear and pristine. To maintain them, operaing normally daily does the trick. If I ever am bad and consume a dark beverage with them in, I just soak them for a few hours and then run thw unit for 10 minutes and theyre perfect. Ive had the Zima Dental Pod for almost a year now and couldn't be loving it more. Ita made my daily oral hygiene routine so much easier and better.
Thanks for the comment. So the denture cleaning tablet is doing a lot of the work to break down the stains etc. The ultrasonic cleaner is then just getting rid of the softened particles that the denture cleaner has broken down.
Great that this works for you, but for those wearing aligners, they can't leave them out all day or overnight for this soaking to occur. They can only generally have them out for a few minutes.
If a retainer is being cleaned that is a bit of a different situation.
Thank you for this review. I had the same experience: it works well for keeping aligners looking new, not so great for cleaning well-worn dirty ones. I'm going to keep the zima pod and use it regularly as I continue invisalign, but as another reviewer said a regular ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and a tablet would work just as well but for much cheaper.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I've had it for a year and it actually works fantastic for stained and calcified aligners...if done right. Use an overnight whitening denture tablet in it. Soak overnight (or over the day) then run for 10 minutes. In less than 2 weeks of doing this they are pristine. After that, just use normally with a tablet each day to maintain. If you stain them again, 1 soak and 10 minute run should have them brand new again. I'm loving this thing.
Thanks for the review. I've been using a night guard since 1994 & started cleaning it with regular denture cleaning tablets around 2000 or so. That guard lasted from 1994-2018, not a bad run! Of course, it was not very pretty but it was clean every night going in, it just literally broke. I've been using the same method on my newest night guard (I got it in about 2022) and it's doing great. Home to have it for 24 years, too!
I don't plan on buying this device, since my current method works well for me.
I have one and love it! I use mine once in the morning and once at night. I’ve seen the junk come off them while using it
Mine won't turn on!
Thanks for this video! You just saved me $100.
Thanks for the honest review!
Thanks looking for review and this doesn’t look to be solution for my retainers. If anyone has slightly dirty retainers I recommend long term method I found from YT from dentist, 1 part cleaning vinegar, 2 parts warm water and touch baking soda and give them good scrub with toothbrush I have cleaned up my yellow retainers for last few years few times good and proper 👍 timing wise is depending on yellow can be your to overnight to let vinegar do it’s job.
I use a regular ultrasonic cleaner, use official invisalign cleaner and my trays are sparkling. They never had that level of build up as yours which look fully calcified, try soaking in vinegar so something maybe to soften the deposits.
totally agree, I purchased 2 and have not seen any results whatsoever. I have taken my appliance to the dentist and he cleaned it perfectly and at no cost
Thanks for sharing your experience and confirming our findings. 👍
I am mid way through Invisalign treatment and clean my brace every morning with my sonic toothbrush- I was surprised how clean they come up!
I'm glad I bought one and everything about it seems high quality, including the packaging, EXCEPT the power cord (I'm in 🇨🇦) We put ours away after each use, and pulling out the power cord and plugging it in is a weird experience because it is an ugly, permanently coiled, cheap-as-it-gets power cord. Not essential for cleaning but a negative part of the daily experience.
We find the Zima ultrasonic to be effective cleaning, it works well for my husband who does want to use chemicals on his retainers. I use the tablets with my once a week. It’s refreshes the retainer and helps me be more compliment with wearing them at night. The discolouration the reviewer complains about isn’t a problem if your retainer Is new when you start using it.
Thank you for taking the time to review this product. You saved me a lot of money. My bleaching trays have developed a white film over the years. Is that bacteria? Have you found a product that can remove this stain? It will cost me $400 to replace the trays😬
I don't know exactly what the film is to be honest. It could be a reaction of the plastic to the whitening gel that naturally happens over time. Your dentist might be able to suggest a product/solution to clean the trays for effectively.
Thanks for the review. Great content as always
honestly a 30% improvement after 2 weeks is pretty good imo
Not for $100 USD it isn't... and I see a 30% improvement from much cheaper cleaners and a toothbrush. I use "stain away"... for less than $10 I get it as clean and don't take up precious counter space. An item like this will have to do better than 30% to get on my vanity.
Electric Teeth the cite also shows that it can be used to clean toothbrush heads.
Please review other dental pods.
Do you have other ones in particular you would like us to cover?
As it stands we have no immediate plans to review other, but we might change our minds.
Great videos! I watched your video about Mold in Oral-B brush heads. Have you tried putting the brush heads in your ultrasonic cleaner? I put my Oral-B Clic manual toothbrush heads (which seems like they're about to be discontinued, which lead me to your videos) in my ultrasonic clear and it seems to work well. My ultrasonic cleaner also has a UV light in them.
Hey. Thanks for the kind words. I have not tried putting the heads in an ultrasonic cleaner. It isn't a bad idea. But, I feel like I shouldn't have to.
Hi, thanks for this video. It’s really made me reconsider purchasing one. Can I ask what aligner cleaner you use, please? I’m on the Vivera retainers and they’ve gone cloudy through brushing them clean. I’d love to use a proper, recommended cleaner but am scared in case they cause damage to them. At £750 to replace them (set of three) this isn’t something I can afford to do on a regular basis. Any guidance gratefully received, please. Many thanks.
Hey. My go to aligner cleaning are the Retainer Brite Cleaning Tablets. They seem to do the job. I am not sure if they will bring back retainers that have gone cloudy (maybe depending how bad), but I've always been pleased with how they have made them feel fresher.
Vivera retainers are expensive as these are the 'branded' ones. It is possible to get more cost effective alternatives, many dentists can make them/source them. How much price difference will depend, but it should be possible to save quite a bit, if you do need new ones.
I've tried so many ultrasonic cleaners for my aligners and none of them clean as they advertise. You would think for $100 this one would work well, but as I expected, it doesn't work any different than a $20 cleaner. Oh well... i give up.
Probably because they are all from the same Chinese supplier. Use your brain and stop being a gullible consumer
4:55 approved in dentistry
Question: Why wouldn't I just buy the Zima Go UV case instead of buying the pod and the case...
You could. I haven't used the Zima Go UV Case though to comment in more detail.
Thanks for the review. I have just bought something v similar. I can hear a very gentle buzzing but can’t feel a thing. Certainly no Jurassic park style vibrations visible. Is this right? Does this sound like it’s working properly?
Probably. Ours creates a gentle buzzing/whirring sound when active.
Interesting my dentist said switch out those retainers like every 6 months...
translated... pay me add'l money every 6 months.
I have one for night and I have used it for years, I use a cleaner tab once a week and brush them with water before use, that's all. I also wear them right after brushing my teeth. Whenever they are replaced they always comment they look great, a little cloudy but not discoloured.
Mine said it should last 6 years 🤨
I got it to clean my jewelry 😂
Soak retainers in water and baking soda. You can also use water and vinegar to refresh them. BUT NOT TOGETHER!
"Is Using Baking Soda and Vinegar Together a Good Idea? The short answer is no. And the long answer goes like this: When used together, baking soda and vinegar will neutralize each other, effectively canceling out the benefits of low pH for vinegar and high pH for baking soda."
probably a stupid question but will my retainers be safe to put in my mouth when its done ultra sonic cleaning? Its just water correct? Do i I have to rinse it or anything prior to putting them in my mouth?
Yes they should be safe. I did rinse mine quickly, just to remove any potential residual grime.
Do UV pods work better than this?
I've not tested to be able to say.
There combined UV and ultrasonic cleaners on amazing which only go for £40 with great reviews.
Maybe try those and review them on the channel
do you have any advice for cleaning my extremely dirty retainers? i’m afraid that continued use of them will eventually cause infection
Assuming you are cleaning them by brushing them with a toothbrush. Have you soaked in a retainer cleaner?
If that worried, perhaps it might be cost effective/sensible to get a new retainer and focus on keeping that as clean as possible?
@2:53 instruction starts. You’re welcome.
Didn't come here for instructions nor do I have ADHD. Thank you
Mine broke after just 8 months. Don’t waste your money.
You’re not supposed to brush your Invisalign or retainer.
can this do jewelry too?
Theoretically as far as I am aware yes. I've not tried so can't comment on how effective it would be. Given my experience I don't think they would be great.
That toothbrush was ratchet bro
Electric Teeth will retrains or aligners ruin if a users leaves them to clean up while they eat or brush their teeth.
No, not that we are aware.
“Replace every 9 months.” 💀 My orthodontist never told me this. Said it’ll last a lifetime 🫢🤢
9 years later 🤯
You can use for a lot longer. Brands want you to replace them because they earn from it. They can wear/split over time so it is worth replacing occasionally or at least have your dentist assess the fit and durability on your next checkup.
WHY
DO YOU
TALK
LIKE THAT
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