Cleaning Your Invisalign Aligners
The proper way to clean your aligners involves a few steps. When taking out your aligners to eat, they need to be rinsed so plaque and dried saliva doesn’t breed bacteria. You can use a clear anti-bacterial soap to clean the aligners to make sure odor causing bacteria is not growing, just make sure you rinse them well before putting them back in your mouth. To get into the grooves of the aligners, use a soft bristle toothbrush gently making sure you aren’t scratching the plastic. To deep clean your aligners, once a day soak them for 20 minutes in either a denture cleaner like Polident, Retainer Brite, a half water/half hydrogen peroxide mix, or Invisalign’s cleaning crystals that can be purchased online. Before putting the aligners back in your mouth, make sure to brush and floss your teeth. This is important to do every time you take them out and put them back in. If there is any food left between your teeth, the particles can create dental issues like decay.
Now that you have the cleaning routine down, there are a few things you should know are bad for your Invisalign aligners. Eating or drinking anything but regular water while wearing you aligners can leave stains on the aligners and cause them to smell. You should never use toothpaste to clean the aligners. Toothpastes tend to be abrasive so the aligners can become scratched, leaving both pockets for bacteria to grow, and a dull look to the aligners making them more visible. To keep the aligners the proper color, you should always use clear soaps or mouthwash. Any substance with a color could stain them. Last but not least, keep your aligners in their case while they are not in your mouth or deep clean soaking. This ensures that they will not become broken or lost. It also helps prevent bacteria from growing.
Following these instructions the entire time you have Invisalign aligners will help you keep them clean, clear, and odor-free. If at any point you have a question or need clarification on this cleaning advice, just ask and we’ll be happy to assist you!