Cleaning Invisalign aligners is one of the most important things to keep in mind. Even though you only keep your aligners for a few weeks, they still need to be cleaned. For more information on how to care for your aligners properly, keep reading.
Best Ways to Care for Your Aligners
- Always remove your Invisalign when you’re eating. Otherwise, food particles could build up inside the aligners or they might get damaged and subsequently not work.
- You can only drink water while wearing aligners. Otherwise, you could risk damaging or staining them.
- Do not wash the trays using boiling hot water
- When you aren’t using your aligners, put them in an airtight container to protect them from bacteria.
Rinsing/Cleaning Invisalign aligners
While rinsing your aligners may make them appear clean, there can still be bacteria under the surface building up.
The Invisalign website details a basic cleaning procedure for cleaning every night:
- Rinse your aligners with warm water.
- Brush your aligners with a soft-bristled toothbrush and mild, clear soap to clean any dirt away. Do not use the same toothbrush you use to brush your teeth.
- After brushing with soap, thoroughly rinse off.
- When you are not wearing them, keep them in a protective case.
Cleaning Supplies
Invisalign offers a “Steraligner” to clean your aligners. This is mainly rub alcohol and sodium bicarbonate, which is a natural antiseptic. You put your Invisalign in the tray and let it soak for three minutes. Give them a brush after and then thoroughly rinse off the solution.
Invisalign also offers “cleaning crystals,” which is a solution to dissolve in water and use to soak your aligners. It is made out of sodium sulphate and other cleaning chemicals.
If you’re looking for a cheaper and easier to buy option, you can also use other retainer cleaning products (but do not use denture cleansers).
How Often Should You Clean Your Aligners?
You should clean your aligners every night, normally when you brush and floss your teeth. This helps clean any food particles, dirt or bacteria that has built up over the day. If you have drank something that is not water while you’re wearing them it would be best to clean them straight after. You should be careful not to put them back on straight after eating in case there is still food stuck in your teeth, and make sure to also rinse them every time you remove them.
Even though you change your aligners every few weeks, they still need thorough cleaning. If you don’t clean them well enough, you can get bad breath or your aligners could change colour and make your teeth appear yellow. You also expose your teeth to bacteria that has built up.
By following these practices, you can keep your aligners clean and get the most out of your treatment. If you need more information regarding Invisalign care, it is best to speak to an Invisalign dentist so they can give you advice specifically for your situation.
