How to clean Invisalign- Know the best ways (2024)

There are several benefits of selecting and knowing how to clean Invisalign for your orthodontic treatments.

But, your Invisalign may become discolored if you are not properly cleaning them.

Discolorations will make your teeth appear completely pale yellow.

Bacteria buildup can also lead to poor breath and impair periodontal health.

Other individuals are likely to detect that you are employing invisible braces if this happens, and this would usually defeat the objective of getting Invisalign in the first place.

 

Contents

How to Clean Invisalign Correctly? 

It’s critical to whiten your teeth and aligner trays with your Invisalign aligner trays every morning.

Maintaining a decent morning routine is important for your dental hygiene since bacteria can collect on the trays as you sleep.

You should do this every night before going to bed.

Cleaning 

You can always use the Invisalign aligners with the use of a smaller amount of clearer antibacterial soap and a soft-bristled toothbrush as you can easily clean the Invisalign aligners.

It can easily remove every stuck-on food particle by keeping the aligners appearing cleaner and clearer.

 

Rinsing

Ensure that you are rinsing the clear aligners each time you remove them.

You should always rinse your aligners each time you take them out of your mouth besides your morning and evening cleaning schedules.

It can help prevent the plaque and any bit of dried saliva from collecting on the aligners and make them comfortable to be inserted.

There is a massive difference between rinsing and cleaning your Invisalign aligners.

You can rinse your aligners, and that would make them appear cleaner.

But, the rinsing will not always address the bacteria that are not visible to the naked eye.

 

Soaking

Furthermore, you should be soaking your aligners about once a day.

Make sure that you are placing the aligners either in the denture cleaner or the Invisalign Specialist solutions.

Use the toothbrush to wipe away any caked-on food or plaque once the aligners are finished soaking up.

After these, you can rinse the aligners before placing them back in your mouth.

 

Brushing and Flossing 

Before reinserting the trays back into your mouth, clean and floss your teeth.

Substances could become caught between your teeth if you don’t use clear aligners.

It’s critical to keep your teeth clean while using transparent aligners.

Otherwise, you will continue to have dental problems in the future, such as tooth decay or gum disease.

It’s a good idea to bring everything you’ll need to properly care for your aligners with you everywhere you go.

It allows you to care for your Invisalign trays when away from home.

 

 

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What should you use for cleaning the clear aligners?

You can soak your aligners in a variety of cleaning solutions, including:

Water and soap 

Cleaning transparent aligners with soap and water is a simple process.

To make suds, squeeze a small amount of gentle liquid soap into a warm but not hot cup of water.

Soak your clear aligners for 20 to 30 minutes in the solution before rinsing them clean.

 

Water and Vinegar

Blend one part of white Vinegar and three warm water to form a vinegar and water solution.

The water isn’t too hot, as this may harm the plastic in your aligners.

Soak your aligners for 20 minutes in a vinegar mixture and water, then wipe with cool water.

 

Baking Soda and Water

Make sure to mix about a tablespoon of baking soda and a half cup of water.

Soak the aligners in this solution for an hour.

Remove the aligners and make sure to rinse them before placing them back in your mouth.

 

Sterialigner

Invisalign offers a ‘Sterialigner’ product with a tray for cleaning aligners.

Washing alcohol and sodium bicarbonate, a powerful antiseptic, are included in the Steraligner.

Set your aligners in the tray and soak them for 3 minutes to clean them with the Steraligner.

Warm water is used to rinse the solution.

 

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What Not to Use to Clean Your Clear Aligners? 

Several things can break your aligners and cause your treatment to be delayed if they are deformed and don’t fit properly.

If you require more aligners, you’ll have to pay more money.

You should also avoid cleaning your Invisalign aligners in the following ways:

Mouthwash

Mouthwash is great for cleaning your teeth, but it’s bad for your aligners.

Most mouthwashes contain a coloring dye that may stain your clear aligners permanently, making them less visually pleasant to wear.

 

Dishwasher

Dishwashers utilize hot water, which can discolor your clear aligners and deform them, causing them to no longer fit properly.

 

Soaps for cleaning with added dyes

Soaps with additional dyes should be avoided, such as blue, red, or green.

These dyes tend to discolor Invisalign trays.

Bleach, alcohol, and other strong solvents might damage your aligners permanently.

Always go for one of the milder alternatives indicated above.

Always use a soft-bristle toothbrush with any cleaning agents you use.

On the trays, a coarse bristle brush is too abrasive.

 

Can You Clean Invisalign Retainers With Toothpaste? 

How to clean Invisalign

Invisalign aligners should never be cleaned with toothpaste.

It may seem natural to clean transparent aligners with the same toothpaste you use to brush your teeth.

On the other hand, toothpaste includes abrasive chemicals that harm the aligners.

Toothpaste can leave a residue on your trays, which might stain them, and it may also leave a terrible taste on your dishes.

 

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How Often Should My Invisalign Trays Be Cleaned? 

Every night, you should clean your trays.

Brushing and polishing your teeth should be done simultaneously.

This cleaning method helps remove unwanted items, trash, and bacteria that accumulate during the day.

If your Invisalign aligners look dirty, you should also clean them.

For example, if you are drinking from some color while wearing them or ate too soon after wearing them.

 

Is there any study on the most effective cleaning methods? 

Although the basic cleaning process outlined above is frequently sufficient to keep your aligners clean at night, it is not always the complete strategy.

They looked at three different approaches:

  • a squirt of water
  • brushing and taking effervescent tablets
  • cleaning the aligners using a toothbrush and toothpaste

Researchers concluded that brushing and utilizing effervescent tablets were the most efficient ways to clean aligners at the end of the study.

They also discovered that brushing was just marginally better than taking the medications.

 

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How often should your aligners be cleaned? 

Cleaning your aligners should be done every night, commonly at almost the same time as brushing and flossing your teeth.

It can help to aid in the removal of any built-up food, trash, and bacteria that gather during the day.

When your Invisalign gets dirty, such as if you drank something that wasn’t clear while putting it, or if you put them on quickly after eating, you can clean them.

Even if you exchange your aligners every two weeks, they still need to be cleaned thoroughly.

Failure will lead to discoloration of the aligners (causing your teeth to appear yellow) or foul breath. You’re also exposing your teeth to germs built up over time.

 

Are there any cleansers you should stay away from? 

Some cleaning products are simply too harsh or dangerous for your Invisalign aligners to use.

These are some examples:

Denture cleaners and mouthwashes, particularly those containing alcohol-scented soaps, can quickly become bitter toothpaste.

You should also avoid using washing soaps with colors added to them (such as blue, red, or green soaps).

These can easily stain your Invisalign, making it difficult to wear for more than two weeks.

Using a hard-bristled toothbrush instead of a soft-bristle toothbrush may be too harsh on your Invisalign.

 

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How to Take Care of Your Invisalign Aligners?

How to clean Invisalign

Following a few best practices for aligner care will help keep your aligners clean and bacteria-free. Some instances are as follows:

When eating, always remove your aligners. Otherwise, food particles might accumulate in the aligners, causing them to lose effectiveness.

While your aligners are in place, avoid consuming anything other than water, and you risk staining or ruining them if you don’t.

When cleaning the trays, avoid using extremely hot water.

Keep them in an airtight jar when you’re not wearing your aligners. This lowers the chances of losing them and safeguards them from bacteria.

These habits will help you keep your braces clean and your procedure on track.

 

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FAQs

Below we share some FAQs related to the question of “How to Clean Invisalign”

1. How do you keep Invisalign clean without causing damage?

Because baby toothbrushes are so gentle, they operate well.

With the toothbrush, brush them but with only water or a small bit of clear, gentle soap.

To avoid harming or scratching the aligners, use delicate brush strokes.

 

2. How much should I clean my Invisalign aligners?

These aligners should then be cleaned twice a day, usually at the same time as your teeth are brushed.

We also recommend rinsing your aligners with lukewarm water daily.

You take them out to prevent bacteria formation from passing them under hot water since the plastic can warp.

 

3. Can I clean my Invisalign with toothpaste?

Use toothpaste and a toothbrush to clean your aligner, but make sure you use a soft formula and brush.

Brush the aligner carefully and gently using a soft-bristled toothbrush and all-purpose toothpaste (one developed for children works well).

Use a denture cleanser pill to clean your aligner.

 

4. How are Invisalign retainers sterilized?

Simply scrub away the residue with a tiny bit of liquid dish soap and a toothbrush designed solely to clean your trays.

Solubility of plaque and debris from your retainers using a homemade vinegar solution combined with water is also safe and effective.

 

5. What is the white substance on the inside of my Invisalign?

Plaque buildup could be the cause of white spots on your aligner.

After removing your aligner, always rinse it and clean it properly at night and in the morning.

Brushing with something other than a soft brush, or brushing too vigorously, might leave visible scratches on the cloth.

 

6. Is it possible to clean Invisalign with water?

Avoid these Invisalign “don’ts” when caring for your trays for the greatest results.

Use only a lukewarm brush to wash your aligners instead of extremely hot water.

Extremely hot water can deform and destroy your aligners, causing them to be damaged and your treatment to be delayed.

 

7. Can I use mouthwash to clean my Invisalign?

Do not soak your Aligners in mouthwash because this will discolor them and make them less noticeable.

Invisalign Aligners should not be soaked in Denture Cleaning Solution because it is too abrasive; instead, use Retainer Brite.

 

8. Why would Invisalign crystals have a bleach-like odor?

If your aligners smell such as bleach, it’s probably because they were disinfected after the manufacturing process.

Fortunately, with easy cleaning techniques, you may simply eliminate the bleach odor.

 

9. Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean Invisalign?

Hydrogen peroxide is very strong when used undiluted, so we recommend preparing a solution with the perfect blend of hydrogen peroxide with water.

After that, immerse your Invisalign for around 20 minutes in this mixture.

It is an extremely cost-effective approach to cleaning your aligners because a jar of hydrogen peroxides costs less than a dollar.

 

10. Can antibacterial soap be used to clean Invisalign?

You can’t clean your trays with scented soap, but as long as it’s clear, antibacterial soap is fine.

Antibacterial soaps that are colored will discolor the plastic.

You can either soak the aligners in soap and hot water or apply the soap straight to the Invisalign.

 

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Ending thoughts 

So, how to clean Invisalign is the most popular way for individuals to straighten their teeth as the aligners would require regular cleaning for effectiveness.

Showing a bit of care to your aligners can help keep them undetectable and clear as possible since they are made for disposal as they cannot hold up to rough cleaning methods, including hot water and abrasive brushes.

Consult your dentist if you have issues keeping your aligners clean.

They would recommend other techniques specific to meet your dental needs and help keep the aligners and your mouth clean.

 

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