Good orthodontic care is not just about wearing your Invisalign for the recommended amount of time. Orthodontists recommend that their patients regularly clean and maintain their Invisalign as well. If proper care is not taken for Invisalign and you don't spend a few minutes cleaning your aligner trays every day, they'll quickly look and smell filthy. Due to the combination of plaque and dried saliva, odorous germs will eventually start to grow on your dirty trays and can cause plaque buildup on your teeth or even tooth decay.
It's important to take good care of your teeth,
gums, and lips while wearing these braces because it helps you maintain a healthy oral environment inside of your mouth all throughout the treatment process. A key factor when properly cleaning your Invisalign more importantly is having a healthy toothbrush head which ensures you’re brushing your teeth well enough. Inspecting your Invisalign trays daily is also important to spot any buildup of saliva or plaque to get it cleaned. A dental visit is also needed every 6-8 weeks for possible adjustments to be made, and making sure your Invisalign is in good condition, until your teeth are perfectly straightened out. It can take up to 18 months for you get your full results with Invisalign. So it’s very important to have your Invisalign clean those 18 months to ensure nothing bad happens to your trays during treatment.
In order to have Invisalign at its most cleanest you need to clean the Invisalign every day with toothpaste and water, or even better, after every single meal and flavored drink. It's important not to use too much toothpaste on the aligner, because it could harm the trays overtime. You only need to brush the outer surface of the plastic aligner without putting too much pressure on it because it can cause damage and possibly break with too much force. Purchasing a retainer cleaner solutions such as foam cleaners or tablets is recommended as well. We've compiled some helpful information for you so you can avoid common mistakes when cleaning Invisalign trays:
- Make sure not to use toothpaste with whitening agents or other active ingredients during treatment. Only use toothpaste that does not contain these ingredients.
- Brush your teeth before removing the aligner, as well as after.
- Rinse thoroughly before and after with water after brushing your teeth.
- Air dry or use a tissue instead of a towel or napkin.
- Use warm to hot water when cleaning the Invisalign trays.
- Do not use an electric toothbrush as it could have a high chance of breaking the material.
- Rinsing them with Listerine for a few seconds is also a good alternative to Invisalign tray cleaners.