Invisalign promises a beautiful smile, but what about the invisible buildup that makes them foggy and stained? Here at Art of Smile Philadelphia, we are sharing a brief guide on how to clean Invisalign or aligners regularly.
You wear aligners for approximately 20-22 hours, and continuous wearing will create an environment that promotes bacterial growth, plaque formation, and the accumulation of debris. So, a regular Invisalign tray cleaning procedure is mandatory to make aligners more effective.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is a type of thin and clear aligner that is used to transform your smile amazingly. Orthodontists are making wide use of this orthodontic treatment. The main advantage of using this product is that it is less noticeable than brackets.
Nowadays, Invisalign has become the preferred choice among people. It’s like the aligners because of the fewer complications during maintenance, it is less painful, and most importantly provides appealing esthetics.
How Often Should You Clean Your Aligners?
When you wear aligners, you may have questions about how often to clean Invisalign trays and when is the right time to do so.
- Generally, you must clean the aligners at night at the time you brush and floss your teeth. Doing this regularly would help remove the debris and bacteria accumulated during the day.
- You must immediately clean them when you notice visible dirt on them. Your immediate action would save it from future damage.
- Don’t forget to rinse them after each time you take them off for eating or drinking. This prevents saliva from drying on the trays and making it look foggy.
- Although aligners would be changed every two weeks, don’t skip the cleaning part.
If you aren’t cautious about their maintenance, your teeth would discolour and you may face dental issues such as bad breath, yellow teeth, bacterial formation and more.
How to Take Care of Your Aligners
Here are some incredible tips that would help you to keep your aligners clean and bacteria-free.
- Take out aligners when you eat . If you don’t do it, the food particles cause debris buildup in the aligners and damage their effectiveness.
- Make sure to avoid beverages while having aligners on. They can stain and damage your aligners.
- Don’t make use of very hot water in cleaning.
- Keep the aligners in the airtight container while you are not using them. This will help to protect them from bacteria.
- Keep them away from pets if you have them as they like to chew on them.
All the tips we have shared are very easy to carry out. Aligners are very easy to manage; the only thing required is your little attention. If you make a routine, the management of them will become effortless.
Cleaning vs. Rinsing Invisalign Aligners
There is a huge list of aligner users who just rinse the aligners to make them clean. Although rinsing makes them clear in appearance, cleaning is required to protect them from bacterial formation, so rinsing is not enough. When it comes to cleaning your aligners, you must make use of rinsing. Besides this, don’t miss out on deep cleaning.
Here is how you can carry out the procedure.
- Make sure to rinse your aligners every time you take them out from your mouth.
- Use a soft-bristle toothbrush under water without tooth paste to remove debris and food particles. You may use clear unfragranted soap with the brush to scrub the aligner in its crevices to clean it.
- Rinse deeply after brushing. Make sure to keep aligners in a safe place in its case whenever it is not in use.
- Brush your teeth before putting aligners on, and make sure to clean your hands after handling your aligners to prevent the transmission of bacteria from your hands to your mouth.
What Practices Should You Avoid While Doing Invisalign Cleaning
The use of wrong cleaning techniques and products can damage your aligners and hinder the desired outcome of the treatment. So, there are certain things that you should keep in mind throughout the maintenance process.
Avoid Boiling Water
You must know that thermoplastic materials are heat sensitive, and the use of hot water can make aligners lose their custom shape. Instead of hot water, you must make use of lukewarm water.
Regular Toothpastes
Cleaning Invisalign trays with toothpaste should be avoided because regular Toothpaste contains baking soda or silica, which causes aligners to lose their transparency and do other damage too. Ask your professional for adequate toothpaste.
Denture Tablets or Other Products
Invisalign trays, cleaning tablets, and Invisalign tray ultrasonic cleaner should not be used on a daily basis for aligner cleaning; these tablets and other similar products can cause harm to the aligners. Make sure to stick to regular cleaning habits and avoid such products.
Avoid Colored Soaps
Dyes in colored soaps can stain your aligners. The chemical residue may irritate your mouth.
Leave Mouthwashes
Alcohol based mouthwashes can dry the plastic out and make it more brittle. When using mouthwash, make sure to remove aligners. Use non alcoholic varieties of mouthwashes. There are several products available in the market, you just pick the right one. In case, you find it difficult. Take guidance from your orthodontist.
Say No! to Harsh Chemicals & Abrasive Tools
Sometimes people make use of household chemicals such as bleach, rubbing alcohol, and detergents for cleaning Invisalign trays. These are toxic to your aligners. Don’t make use of such products. Besides this, you should also avoid hard-bristle toothbrushes and abrasive cloths.
Final Thoughts
Invisalign is a popular and amazing way to transform one’s smile. In order to make it effective, one must know about the proper cleaning and maintenance of them. We have shared a brief guide on cleaning procedures for aligners.
Make sure to use the procedure for smooth management of your aligners. The process is simple and straightforward. You just follow it on a regular basis for best outcomes. Take professional help from Kanchi Shah, the best orthodontist in the field.
