How To Clean Your Invisalign
Invisalign is a low-hassle alternative to braces that makes virtually everything about teeth straightening easier. But how do you clean the aligners, and is the aligner maintenance process straightforward?
How to clean Invisalign
During treatment, you’re expected to wear your aligners for between 20 and 22 hours a day. This is necessary for treatment to be completed within the expected time frame, and for treatment to be a success.
With the aligners in for the best part of the day and night, you can expect them to need some daily TLC, though before you get put off, we’re talking fairly low-maintenance (especially compared with caring for fixed braces).
Here are some quick-fire best practices to employ when you’re cleaning your Invisalign aligners:
Soak them in retainer cleaner like this one every 2-3 days for 1 hour.
Use lukewarm water (hot water can weaken the structure and shape of your aligner).
Clean them with water and your brush whenever you take them in and out.
Use an ultrasonic cleaning bath (we’ll explain the role of these a little later in this guide).
What happens if I don’t clean my aligners?
You should be cleaning your aligners after every meal, to prevent bacteria from becoming trapped within each groove and causing decay.
Given the above point, you will also not be surprised to hear that lack of sufficient cleaning can also give rise to bad breath and aligner discolouration.
If you’re someone who has chosen Invisalign because of its discreet properties, you will want to make sure you are cleaning your alingers adequately. Otherwise, you may as well have opted for a more conspicuous treatment, like fixed braces!
One of the main benefits of Invisalign is the transparency of the aligners, so don’t compromise this benefit by staining your aligners (especially when you’re committing to months of effort to straighten your teeth).
What else can I do to prevent my aligners getting dirty?
This brings us to the ultrasonic cleaning bath we mentioned earlier in the blog.
Whilst you can get an effective clean using a toothbrush, an ultrasonic cleaning bath leaves no stone unturned.
Devices like the Hangsun Ultrasonic UV Cleaner can remove 99.9% of bacteria and do the hard work for you. Simply pop your aligners in for 5 minutes and take the boredom out of having to clean your aligners (which can set in very quickly after you start treatment!)
Alternatively, effervescent cleaning tablets and a soaking cup are another viable way of making sure you don’t end up with germs, plaque and stains on your Invisalign aligners. This method takes approximately 15 minutes per clean, and a sonic cleaner can be purchased if you want to be confident that your aligners remain in excellent condition throughout the Invisalign treatment period (6-18 months depending on your treatment objectives) .
What is the best way to clean my Invisalign aligners?
You can achieve an effective clean using just your brush and lukewarm water, but you might wish to consider aids like cleaning tablets or a sonic cleaner if you:
Have limited dexterity using your brush to access each small groove in your aligners.
Don’t like the idea of committing to multiple manual aligner cleaning sessions each day.
Would like the peace of mind that you are doing everything you can to keep your aligners clean, and to reduce your risk of decay and cavities.
Regularly enjoy teeth-staining food and drink that is likely to quickly stain your aligners.
If you would like more help why not ask a dentist at Nova Smiles for free guidance? You can do so right here.
More Invisalign guides
The route to a straighter-looking smile doesn’t necessarily have to always be with braces or Invisalign.