A retainer is a removable appliance that is used to hold any area of the mouth open while healing occurs, e.g., after orthodontic treatment or surgical correction of tooth misalignment.
Why Do Dogs like Retainers?
Dogs are attracted to retainers since they are flavored from the smell of the saliva. The retainer material is soft, pliable, and chewy, so your pet could be treating it as if it were another toy or object that they particularly enjoyed chewing on. Dogs are attracted to retainers since they are the easiest thing around/in front of them for their little teeth to chomp down on, and they get a little treat for doing it.
Why We Shouldn’t Let our Dogs Get Ahold of Our Retainers
Retainers are expensive, and as such, many people do not appreciate their beloved pet chewing on them. If a dog chews a retainer, it may be fatal to the pet as well as be expensive for you.
How Ingesting a Retainer Can be Harmful for Your Pet
Retainers are made from plastics that your dog’s digestive system cannot handle if ingested. This could lead to poisoning and death. In addition, if your dog chews through your retainer wires, this leads to you not having the device that you need to prevent your teeth from moving again. This will cost you more money for additional orthodontic treatment. If it is not possible to prevent your dog from chewing on a retainer, you should at least attempt to make them less attractive. One way is to try and see if you can prevent their access.
Preventing Your Dog from Getting Your Retainer
To prevent your dog from eating your retainer, you must first ensure that your retainer is clean since a clean retainer is less desirable to a dog. You have to ensure that your retainer is not left on the counter or table since a retainer is an open target for a dog. The owner of the retainer should also ensure that they carry it with them all the time. The pet should not be allowed to roam the house freely when they are not home since that is when accidents can happen. It is best to keep the pet in another room while the owner prepares food or snacks.
You should also clean your retainer after use and store it in a safe place like a container or Ziploc bag. One should ensure that the retainer is clean by soaking it in a denture cleanser or mild soap and warm water. Brush the retainer with a soft toothbrush and rinse thoroughly under warm running water. Dry by patting it gently with a paper towel or lint-free cloth, then allow it to air dry before reinserting or storing.
It is also advisable to ensure that your pet gets the required amount of calcium every day. You can achieve this by adding milk or yogurt to their meals or giving bones to chew on so they do not desire to chew on other random things as much.
In Conclusion
If your dog chews on retainers while you are not around, it is unwise to punish them when they get caught red-handed. It will just teach them that chewing on the retainer is wrong only when you are around and they may be more likely to do it when you are not around if they have acess to it.
