Fancymay Retainer Cleaning Tablets Review

When you’re using clear dental aligners to help correct your smile, you’ll need to make sure you look after them.

Your chosen aligner manufacturer will tell you the best way to care for them, which usually involves brushing them with your own toothbrush and toothpaste, or using a mild liquid soap solution.

However, there are more effective solutions, and FancyMay is one of those. These tablets don’t just clean your aligners, but they sterilize them too, killing the bacteria you wouldn’t see and making sure every nook and cranny is spotless.

Not only that, they help to prevent any damage from scrubbing the aligners, and they can prevent discolouration too, so that your aligners stay clear and invisible.

Unsure whether cleaning tablets are worth buying, to help you during your teeth realignment treatments? Read on for our full guide to FancyMay tablets, including how to use them and the results you should expect.

What is FancyMay?

FancyMay is a type of cleaning tablet, designed to be used with aligners, retainers and braces.

Once you open the box you’ll find tablets, each individually packaged to keep them safe, that should help to remove 99.9% of odour-causing bacteria, also helping to keep them safe to use and unstained.

As with any medical or dental product, it’s important you read the ingredients before you use FancyMay. The tablets are suitable to most people, but check there’s nothing you may be allergic to.

FancyMay tablets are ideal for clear aligners but also mouth guards and other removable braces, but they may damage metal if used for too long, so be careful with wire retainers.

How is FancyMay sold?

When you order FancyMay, you’re ordering a box of individually-wrapped tablets. The tablets are soluble so it’s important they’re wrapped individually, otherwise, they could start to dissolve with moisture splashes.

You can take your pick from a box of 36 tablets, that are marketed as a one-month supply, or a box of 120 tablets which should last you almost four months.

How do you use FancyMay?

FancyMay tablets are extremely easy to use. Simply fill a cup or container with enough water to submerge your aligners. Make sure it’s big enough to also fit your aligners. Add one tablet to the warm water, and wait for it to turn blue and start bubbling. Then, add your aligners.

Wait 15-20 minutes, and then remove your aligners. Rinse them thoroughly to remove any solution, and they’re ready to use again.

You should clean your aligners with a FancyMay tablet once every day, as well as cleaning them with your toothbrush as recommended. You shouldn’t use FancyMay as a complete replacement for other cleaning.

It’s vital that the water you use is warm. Cold water won’t let the tablet dissolve properly, so cleaning won’t be as effective. Hot water can cause your aligners to soften, and lose their shape, which stops them from working properly.

Can you leave FancyMay too long?

FancyMay tablets won’t cause any damage to your aligners if they’re used correctly, even if you leave them in the solution for too long. If you accidentally forget and leave them for an hour, they’ll still be fine to use.

The problem is with any braces that have metal components, which are more likely to be corroded  if left in the bubbling solution.

Also, while it’s fine to leave your aligners in the FancyMay solution for more than 20 minutes, remember you’re supposed to wear them for 20-22 hours every day. If you forget, then you could end up not seeing the proper results as you won’t be wearing them when you should. For that reason, make sure you don’t use a tablet overnight.

The best time to use FancyMay tablets is when you’re eating. You’ll already be removing the aligners anyway, and once you’ve finished you can reinsert your fresh aligners that will be slightly mint flavoured following the cleaning, perfect after a meal.

Can you use a sonic cleaner with FancyMay?

Some people use a sonic cleaner tool to make sure they’re completely cleaning their retainers or aligners. These use tiny, super-quick vibrations to loosen any debris or cleaning liquid inside the dental appliance. A sonic cleaner can definitely help you clean better, by increasing the coverage of your tablets. So the good news is that yes, you can use FancyMay tablets with a sonic cleaner too. There’s no specialist version of the tablet – just use a normal FancyMay tablet.

Can I use FancyMay every day?

Not only can you use FancyMay tablets every day, it’s recommended that you do. Using one tablet every day is the best way to thoroughly clean and sanitise your aligners.

Many people find that it’s easiest to use FancyMay in the evening. Remove your aligners and clean them during your evening meal, and then brush your teeth. You can then reinsert your aligners for the night.

In case you’re wondering, you can technically use FancyMay tablets more than once per day, but it’s not worth doing it. You won’t see an added benefit, and will instead just run through your tablets quicker than you need to. Instead, just use FancyMay once per day as recommended and clean your aligners using a toothbrush or per your manufacturer’s instructions at other times.

Are FancyMay products the best retainer cleaning tablets?

It’s hard to judge which retainer cleaning tablets are the best, but online reviews are generally very favourable, with five-star ratings on major retailers’ websites.

They’re roughly the same price as other popular brands such as Retainer Brite, and most reviews state customers are happy with how clean and fresh they leave their dental products. If you’re unsure, you may want to buy one month’s supply of FancyMay tablets and see what you think – you can always switch to another brand if you don’t feel they’re doing what they should.

Can you use FancyMay to clean Invisalign aligners?

FancyMay can be used with any clear dental aligners, including Invisalign. They’re designed to provide an effective clean without damaging clear plastic aligners, so will make sure your Invisalign aligners last for the duration of your treatment.

Does FancyMay expire?

Don’t worry about stocking up on FancyMay products. They do expire, but not for several years, and so you can easily buy a few boxes of tablets upfront and they’ll still be good to use for the duration of your treatment.

Always check the box when you order to make sure your tablets do have a long-term expiry date, and make sure you buy from a reputable seller to avoid being sold old tablets.

Does FancyMay work with metal braces?

You can only use FancyMay tablets with removable bracers and retainers. Most metal braces are fixed and so aren’t suitable. If you have a wire retainer then you can use FancyMay tablets, unlike some other brands of cleaner who suggest avoiding any metal products.

However with wire retainers it is even more important that you don’t leave them in the solution for too long, otherwise you could corrode the wire.

Is FancyMay safe?

For most people, FancyMay is completely safe to use, as long as you follow the instructions carefully. It’s designed to be gentle on plastic products like aligners and retainers and so it won’t damage them. It’s safe for humans but you should still rinse your products thoroughly before you put them back into your mouth.

In terms of ingredients, FancyMay should be completely safe, but you must always check the ingredients before use, as there may be a small number of people who have an allergy to one of the substances used.

As with any medical product, if you find yourself experiencing side effects while using FancyMay products, you should stop doing so immediately and consult your doctor if they persist.

With regards use of FancyMay cleaning tablets whilst pregnant, there is no clinical evidence that any of the ingredients could be harmful to you or your baby. However, most retainer companies err on the side of caution and recommend you don’t use their product if you’re pregnant, despite it being completely risk-free in theory. If you’re pregnant, you should stick to using a toothbrush and toothpaste to clean your aligners, and make sure you visit your dentist for regular checkups as your hormone changes can affect your gums and teeth, especially during aligner treatment.

Is there a FancyMay website?

There isn’t a FancyMay website, and the products have a limited presence online in general. They do not have a social media presence either. If you need to complain about a FancyMay purchase, do so with the retailer you bought them from.

FancyMay: Where to Buy

As there is no FancyMay website, you won’t be able to order the products directly.

You also won’t find them in stock at major supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco or Morrisons, nor will you find them in chemist chains such as Boots. Most retainer cleaners aren’t available in these locations, but you may find that alternatives such as Retainer Brite are slightly more prominent.

The best place to buy FancyMay is at major online retailers such as Amazon. You can also find them on eBay but make sure the seller is reputable, or you may be buying someone’s old stock that may expire soon.

How much does FancyMay cost?

If you’re looking to buy FancyMay tablets, you can shop around to try to get the best deal but they are only available in limited places.

Generally, it will cost around £7 for a box of 36 tablets although you’ll need to pay a little extra for delivery.

You can save money by buying a larger box of 120 tablets. These tend to retail for around £15-£20 and so could save you £6 or so every three to four months.

What about a FancyMay alternative?

There are a lot of products out there that are similar to FancyMay, some of which may be easier to find. Retainer Brite is one of the most well-known products and costs a similar amount. It works almost identically to FancyMay.

You can also find more specific denture-cleaning tablets, sometimes in plastic tubes, in supermarkets and chemists such as Boots or Superdrug. These will work for aligners but they may not clean as quickly, depending on the brand, as dentures are designed to be cleaned overnight.

One denture-cleaning brand that does do a good job is Steradent. They are very similar to FancyMay, and so you can expect similar results, and they advertise as the number one cleaning brand recommended by dentists. Steradent tablets also come in a tube and aren’t individually wrapped, so if you choose Steradent just make sure you don’t accidentally splash water into the tube. Steradent can be found in chemists and supermarkets.

There’s no harm in changing between cleaning products with your aligners, so if you run out of FancyMay and have forgotten to order more, you will be fine to use an alternative brand the next day without damaging your aligners.