Tips For Cleaning Your Invisalign Aligners

There’s a fine balance to keeping your Invisalign aligners fresh and clean. You don’t want to clean them so aggressively that they lose their shape. On the other hand, you don’t want fuzz growing on them, either.

Here are a few tips on maintaining the good health of your aligners.

The easy peasy way

Simply use a toothbrush and cold water. Every time you remove your aligners to brush your teeth, use a separate toothbrush to gently brush loose any trapped food. It’s best not to use toothpaste on your aligners which is abrasive and will make them look cloudy. Never use hot water since it can warp the plastic and botch the fit. You could add a few drops of dish soap to this method if you wish. But remember to rinse well before using them again.

A little more effort

Soaking your aligners in diluted bleach water a couple times a week will do wonders to get rid of any discoloration. Use about a tablespoon of bleach in a cup of cold water and soak them for about a half hour twice a week. But remember to give your aligners another brush and rinse after soaking. Soaking them again for about 15 minutes will eliminate any bleach taste.

Tartar blaster

Soaking your aligners in white vinegar once a week will get rid of any tartar build up on your aligners. For a bubbling cleanse, add just a pinch of baking soda to the vinegar and let the fizz do its work for a couple minutes. Remember to brush and rinse them well before using them again.

Hydrogen peroxide

Take a three per cent hydrogen peroxide solution and mix it with equal parts of cool water for at least a half hour. Rinse in cool water. This will kill most germs, but won’t budge any plaque buildup.

Ultrasonic

Personal ultrasonic cleaners also work well. They use fine vibrations and waves to get rid of any gunk. You could use retainer tablets, a denture tablet or Invisalign crystals in conjunction with the ultrasonic method.

Whatever method you pick, it’s important to adopt a daily cleaning routine for your aligners to keep them in top shape.

The professional team at Dr. David Silberman, DDS will be happy to answer any queries you have regarding Invisalign or any other type of braces to give you a more beautiful smile. Give them a call today.