Invisalign aligners can do wonders to straighten your minor misalignment and crookedness and all that in an invisible way. However, taking good care of your aligners is important if you want your orthodontic treatment to go right. If you don’t clean your aligners, you will end up with discolored invisalign, and accumulation of odor-causing bacteria. This all will affect your oral and overall health. This article will explore ways of how to keep your invisalign aligners clean.
Tips on Keeping Your Invisalign Trays Clean
Brush your teeth and aligners
Orthodontists recommend wearing invisalign while sleeping. During the night, your mouth fills with harmful bacteria and also gets stuck on your aligners. As soon as you wake up, the very first thing to do is to thoroughly brush your teeth and aligners and then put them back. Do the same before hitting the bed.
1. Rinsing the trays
Whenever you remove your invisalign for whatever reason, rinse it with cold water to eliminate any bacteria and dried saliva. Invisalign can easily break, so don’t leave them unattended when they are out. Also, always stand on a sink filled with water or place a towel to prevent the aligners from falling and breaking. Also, don’t use hot water as you may end up warping your aligners and then running to your dentist to get another one.
2. Soak your aligners
If you want your keep your aligners and oral health in good shape, soak your aligners once a day. A denture cleaner or a liquid formed with invisalign cleaning crystals can help you in this regard. After taking them out, clean your invisalign using a toothbrush to remove any food debris.
3. Avoid using toothpaste
When we say brush your aligners, it doesn’t mean using toothpaste as it can damage them. The best thing about aligners is their visibility, and toothpaste can discolor them, making them oddly visible.
4. Say no to colored soaps
Just like avoiding toothpaste, colored or scented soaps are a big no for cleaning invisalign aligners. Or you’ll have to survive an unpleasant taste in your mouth.
5. When eating or drinking, take them out
Whenever eating anything or drinking any sort of liquid, except water, remove your aligners. This is important to keep them away from bacteria, and your teeth will be safe from food debris that can cause oral issues later on. Invisalign is not like traditional metal braces that allow eating and drinking.
6. Keep an extra set when traveling
When you are traveling, it’s easy to misplace or damage your aligners. Keeping your teeth away from the treatment will only make them turn bad. One precautionary measure you can take is having an extra set of aligners shipped at the destination of your stay. Or you can keep one in a bag that always stays with you.
Keeping your aligners clean throughout the treatment is the key to a successful and healthy treatment. If you wish to learn more about cleaning the invisalign, contact the experts at Vintage Smile Family Dentistry. Get in touch by calling (281) 251-7770.