How To Clean Invisalign Trays

How To Clean Invisalign Trays

Invisalign is the leading clear aligner brand on the market, helping teenagers and adults correct their orthodontic problems more discreetly and hygienically than traditional braces. Metal brackets and wires make it difficult to keep the teeth clean. 

The good news is that removable clear aligners don’t pose that problem. Read on in this blog from Dentazure to find out how you can keep your aligners and teeth clean throughout your treatment.

Best Way to Care for Your Aligners

While undergoing Invisalign treatment, there are some general practices you will need to adhere to protect your aligners from stains, bacteria, and damage. You should always remove your aligners before eating or drinking anything other than water. 

Never run them under hot water or consume hot liquids while wearing your aligners because this can morph them. You should rinse your aligners under cool or warm water when taking them out and before putting them back in. Then, place your aligners in the designated storage case so they don’t become lost or damaged.

Brush and floss your teeth before placing your aligners back in after eating. This prevents food particle buildup in your aligners and prevents discoloration from staining foods and drinks. 

How Often Should I Clean My Aligners?

You should clean your aligners twice a day, ideally once in the morning and once at night. For your convenience, you can clean them when you brush your teeth at the start and end of the day. However, you should use a separate toothbrush that is designated for aligner cleaning.

Use a soft bristle toothbrush and a cleaning solution such as Invisalign cleaning crystals or denture cleaning solution to scrub away food debris, bacteria, and dirt that could have gotten into the aligners. We recommend that you soak them once a day for about 15 minutes in the aligner cleaner for a deep, sterile clean.

Best Cleaning Practices

Never use toothpaste to clean your aligners. This is too abrasive and can also stain your aligners. You can also use antibacterial soap if you don’t have any denture cleaner or Invisalign cleaning crystals. 

While there are a variety of at-home cleaning methods that can be used to clean your aligners such as baking soda, soap, or vinegar, studies have shown these aren’t the most effective ways to keep your aligners clean. 

A study compared 3 cleaning approaches – rinsing with water, brushing along with using effervescent tablets, and brushing the aligners with a toothbrush and toothpaste. The results of the study concluded that brushing along with the use of effervescent tablets was the best way to clean the aligner trays. Another result showed that brushing was only minimally less effective than cleaning tablets.

Convenient, Hygienic Orthodontic Treatment With Invisalign

Keeping your aligners and teeth clean while straightening your tooth alignment has never been easier. While you’ll need to be mindful about removing your aligners before eating and drinking flavored beverages, this is a lot more convenient than needing to restrict foods entirely. 

As long as you regularly clean your aligners and always remove them before eating, you can enjoy a restriction-free diet. If you’re wondering if Invisalign is right for you, contact us at Dentazure today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Rima Kanbaragha.