As much as we all like to think we’re above the Instagram algorithm, sometimes – just sometimes – it serves up an ad for a product that’s just that’s too good to resist.
Zima Dental must have spent a small fortune on Instagram-based advertising this past year because my feed has been absolutely dominated by two very different healthcare ads: one for an overpriced hair pomade (I see through your lies, influencers) and another for the Zima Dental Pod – supposedly the world's first ultrasonic oral appliance cleaner.
Billed as a “revolutionary product that cleans aligners, retainers, Invisalign, and other oral appliances,” the Dental Pod is essentially a mains-powered water bowl that aims to de-gross your nightly smile-corrector using high-frequency ultrasonic waves. Just drop your appliance into the pod, and a flurry of bubbles will get to work on any bacteria and plaque hidden away in its various hard-to-reach places. At least, that’s the marketing promise.
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I’m a longtime retainer wearer and have cracked at least two of my previous appliances by manually scrubbing them with a toothbrush (what can I say, I’m thorough!), so naturally, I was intrigued by the prospect of a risk-free and potentially more potent method of cleaning my current set. But is the Zima Pod actually any good?
In a bid to answer that question and simultaneously add some commercial variety to my Instagram account, I reached out to Zima for a sample unit, and the company kindly obliged my request by shipping the Arctic White model to TechRadar Towers (the Pod is also available in Sky Blue, Rose Pink, and Jet Black). I took it home and immediately set it up on my bathroom countertop, next to my rubber duck and Braun Series 9 Pro shaver (kidding… about the shaver).
As for what you get in the box, the Zima Dental Pod comes with a small pack of cleaning tablets – the kind you already use to clean your retainers – as well as an AC adapter and a simple instruction manual. At 310g, the Pod is a nice size and weight, and its cutesy design makes it suitable for a bedside table or kitchen countertop if you have no room in your bathroom.
The stainless steel lining of the Pod features a helpful level measure to tell you how much water to put into it, and once you’ve topped it up, you simply drop a cleaning tablet into the water and leave it to fizz away for two minutes.
Next, drop your retainers into the pod and pop the lid on. Make sure it’s plugged in, then hit the illuminated power button to start the cleaning process. The pod will make a humming noise – kind of like an electric razor – for exactly five minutes, then automatically stop, so you don’t need to worry about overcooking your appliance.
The results? In my experience, the Dental Pod returned a cleaner-looking set of retainers more often than not. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve always kept my appliances pretty clean, and even I was impressed with the Pod’s ability to uproot deep-rooted grime.
There will, of course, always be some permanent discoloration that no amount of bubbles will get rid of, but as a risk-free alternative to scouring your appliance with a toothbrush, the Zima Dental Pod is a pretty smart bit of kit.
You only get six cleaning tablets in the box, but if you’ve been a longtime retainer wearer like me, you’ve probably got reserves of orthodontist-issue cleaning tablets that will work just as well as Zima’s branded product. To be honest, the Pod works well without tablets, too – I’ve been cleaning my appliance every day, but I only use one or two tablets per week.
The only real downside to the Zima Dental Pod is its price. It costs $99.99 in the US and £79.99 in the UK, and Zima’s Christmas sale has only knocked 10% off that price in both regions. But hey, you can’t put a price on a great smile.
