How to Clean Your Invisalign
You know you need to brush and floss your teeth when wearing Invisalign, but what about the aligners? It’s also important to keep them free of bacteria, so find out how to clean your Invisalign trays. Then, you’ll have the information you need to maintain a fresh, healthy smile while straightening your teeth.
How to Clean Your Invisalign Each Morning
Since you need to wear Invisalign clear aligners for 20-22 hours a day, you’ll sleep in them at night. Unfortunately, bacteria build up on aligners and teeth at night, so you need to brush both.
Remove your aligners in the morning, rinse them with water, and gently brush them. You’ll want to use a soft-bristled toothbrush and gentle toothpaste, such as one formulated for kids. If you don’t have the right toothpaste, you can use clear liquid soap instead. Just make sure that it’s gentle so it won’t harm your clear aligners.
After you finish brushing your aligners, rinse them again with water. Make sure that you rinse the soap or toothpaste off the aligners before putting them back in your mouth. Also, you’ll want to thoroughly brush and floss your teeth before wearing your aligners.
How to Deep Clean Your Invisalign Each Day
Toothpaste and soap do a nice job of removing surface bacteria and grime. Still, you need to deep clean your clear aligners to ensure they don’t become discolored or turn into a breeding ground for bacteria.
When you ask people how to clean your Invisalign, some will tell you to use denture tablets, but that’s not a good idea. The tablets are quite harsh and can damage your aligners. Then, you’ll have to replace the trays so you can continue treatment.
Instead, use Invisalign Cleaning Crystals or a similar product each day to clean your Invisalign. At some point in the day, add the crystals to water, wait for them to dissolve, and soak your Invisalign aligners. You need to let them soak for at least 15 minutes, but you can leave them in the cleaning solution for up to a half-hour.
Invisalign designed these crystals to work specifically with its clear aligners. The cleaning solution is gentle enough that it won’t harm your trays. At the same time, it does a fantastic job of removing bacteria and keeping the aligners crystal clear. That means they’ll remain nearly invisible, which is one of the benefits of using Invisalign.
How to Clean Your Invisalign Aligners After Removing Them
You’ll take your aligners out throughout the day to eat, drink, smile for photos, and play sports. When thinking about how to clean your Invisalign aligners, it’s also important to consider what to do when you take them out. Rinse them each time you take them out, even if it’s just going to be for a few minutes.
Rinsing the aligners will wash away the saliva and plaque that have built up. That, in turn, will keep your aligners and your mouth fresh throughout the day.
Remove Your Aligners As Needed to Keep them Clean
If you were to ask how to clean your Invisalign aligners, most people would talk about brushing or soaking them. However, there’s another important tip to keep in mind. If you want to keep your Invisalign clean, you need to remove them when eating or drinking. The only exception to this is when drinking water. You can safely do that without taking your aligners out.
Protect Your Aligners After Rinsing or Cleaning Them
While these clear aligners are powerful enough to straighten your teeth, they need protection when out of your mouth. When you take them out to eat, rinse them and put them in the case. Additionally, put them in the case after cleaning them if you aren’t going to put them directly back in your mouth.
Even leaving them out for five minutes could lead to an accident that could damage them. Plus, it’s easy to misplace the aligners when they aren’t in your mouth or in their case. If that happens, you’ll have to contact your Invisalign orthodontist for replacement trays.
What Not to Do When Cleaning Your Invisalign
Now that you know how to clean your Invisalign, it’s important to consider what to avoid. First, don’t use hot water when rinsing or soaking your trays. If your trays are exposed to hot water, the plastic can melt and warp. Then, you’ll end up having to replace your trays since they won’t be able to move your teeth into the right positions.
Next, if you use soap, make sure that it’s clear. If the soap has any dyes in it, it can leave colorful deposits on the aligners. Then, your Invisalign aligners will stand out instead of being nearly invisible.
You should also choose a soap that doesn’t have a scent. Otherwise, you might end up with a bad taste in your mouth from any leftover residue. That’ll be enough to make you want to leave your aligners out of your mouth for the day, which can derail your treatment plan.
Finally, don’t use whitening toothpaste or any harsh formula on your aligners. Harsh kinds of toothpaste are more abrasive than those formulated for children. As a result, you can end up scratching your Invisalign aligners when brushing them.
Learn How to Clean Your Invisalign and More
Dr. Jonathan Nicozisis of West Windsor Orthodontics is a VIP: Diamond Plus Invisalign Provider. That’s the top tier, making Dr. Nicozisis one of the most experienced Invisalign providers in the nation. He is currently accepting new patients in his West Windsor, NJ, office and for virtual consultations.
If you’re currently considering getting Invisalign, you can set up a consultation by calling (609) 275-0100. You can also set up a free virtual consultation online. Then, Dr. Nicozisis can determine if you’re a good fit for Invisalign. If you are, he can proceed with the treatment. In addition, he will go over how to clean your Invisalign in detail so you won’t run into any issues.
