HOW TO CLEAN YOUR INVISALIGN ALIGNERS

3rd July 2019

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR INVISALIGN ALIGNERS

A task that cannot be avoided, cleaning your Invisalign aligners are just as important as cleaning your teeth. Not only do you minimise the risk of your Invisalign trays cracking or discolouring, you’re also limiting the damage your teeth could experience.

How to clean your Invisalign braces

The best method is to keep them soaked in a denture cleaner or Invisalign cleaning crystals. Be sure to set aside a soft bristled toothbrush for the purpose of scrubbing your aligner trays and once a day soak them in your cleaner and brush them. This helps remove dried saliva that can assist in your Invisalign cracking, food particles that can increase your chances of decay, and any dried material that might cause them to discolour and create a foul smell.

Clean when you wake up

It would have been recommended to wear your Invisalign aligners for around 20 – 22 hours per day, which means you would be wearing them during your sleep. When you wake up in the morning, it’s best practice to remove your Invisalign braces and clean both the trays as detailed as possible – not forgetting your teeth! It’s advised to do this as soon as you wake up and not to replace your aligners in your mouth until after breakfast and after your teeth are clean otherwise there is a possible risk of bacteria accumulation in warm and wet areas where they would thrive in.

Remove your aligners to eat

You must always remove your Invisalign braces for any food. The trays are not designed to withstand any pressure from chewing or eating and if they are, they can be prone to cracking and breaking. Food and drink particles that would typically stain your teeth, like coffee and curries, will also stain your Invisalign braces too, so removing them is key. Drinking water with your Invisalign tray is perfectly fine, but if possible, try to remain from any other beverage.

Cleaning your teeth before inserting your Invisalign trays is very important because allowing food debris and sugars to remain trapped between the teeth, gums, and the plastic aligners provides the perfect bacteria environment. This leads to causing visible deposits and an increase of cavities and can cause your breath to smell due to the bacteria’s respiration and breaking down of the food debris.

If you’re considering Invisalign or would like to know more about maintenance and cleaning advice then feel free to get in touch with our professional team here at Abbey House Dental providing you with all your Invisalign needs in Stone.