Your dental correction will be simpler and more convenient with invisible aligners. However, cleaning your aligners can be a hassle, especially if you don’t know how to do it correctly. Your orthodontist assesses your teeth and fits the first of a set of personalized clear aligners or Invisalign. You’ll be ready to flash that beautiful smile at everyone just a few months from now. But you must know how to clean your aligners properly.
The good news is that it’s so simple that you won’t even notice how soon it becomes a regular part of your oral hygiene routine. You’ll be amazed at the process’s simplicity, whether you choose to use a special clear aligner cleaner or one of the below home cleaning solutions.
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Importance of maintaining your Aligners
It would help if your aligners had good oral hygiene and proper maintenance to stay clean, free of odours, and nearly invisible. Even though you can remove your aligners from your mouth for eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing, they may discolour and promote bacteria growth if you don’t keep them clean. Therefore, making it a practice to maintain your trays clean will ensure that they continue to look excellent and prevent any odour or oral hygiene problems.
Ways to clean the aligners
- Clean the trays twice
Your aligners will be on for at least 20 hours daily, so you’ll want to keep them as clean as possible. It would help if you made it a habit of cleaning your aligners twice a day, at the same time that you brush your teeth, for sparkling, clear aligners. You can clean the aligners with a soft toothbrush and a denture cleaning or homemade solution. Before placing them back in your mouth, remember to rinse them with warm water.
It is preferable to give each set of aligners its toothbrush. For the aligners, toothpaste is not advisable. If you use your ordinary toothbrush on your aligner, toothpaste traces remain. - Remove aligners before eating and drinking.
Aligners are typically adjusted every two weeks, minimizing the likelihood of discolouration. But since they still might stain, you must remove them when eating and drinking. Before placing the aligners again, remember to brush your teeth. - Soak the trays
At least once a week, soak the aligners in the aligner cleaning to keep them in pristine condition. You can also find denture cleaning tablets in the supermarket’s toothbrush aisle. Please be aware that these products target aligners like Invisalign and dentures and retainers. The instruction sheet can advise soaking the equipment overnight. Please only immerse your aligners for around 30 minutes, as leaving them out for too long may have a negative impact on your treatment. Avoiding hot or very warm water is also crucial because it might distort your aligners and impair the process of straightening your teeth. - Clean and safeguard the aligners.
Keep your aligners in their protective case when not in use. Keep in mind that you will need to clean the aligner case regularly. It is advisable to develop the practice of periodically washing it.
Few things to avoid while cleaning clear aligners
You should avoid doing a few things when cleaning aligners like Invisalign, such as:
- Use coloured soaps to create various tones or hues on your trays.
- Wear your aligners while you consume food or beverages. Numerous meals and drinks have the potential to stain and colour the trays while also leaving behind unsavoury odours.
- When you’re not using the trays in your mouth, please don’t leave them uncovered or unprotected. Aside from the possibility of loss, uncovered trays leave themselves vulnerable to bacteria and germs. Always wash your trays well before putting them back in your mouth.
- When cleaning aligners, keep in mind to avoid applying heat. The trays may distort if it is hot.