One of the most influential reasons that patients like Invisalign is because of their aesthetics. And who wouldn’t want a straighter, healthier smile without visible braces?
In order to preserve this aesthetic advantage, you must practice exemplary dental hygiene and care for your Invisalign braces. Let’s look at the specifics of how to clean.
Rinsing Invisalign Is Very Important
Clear aligners do attract oral bacteria, so they must be rinsed each and every time you take them out of your mouth. Saliva that has dried on the aligners really does attract bacteria, and this can lead to bad breath, as well as increase your chances of developing an infection.
Remove Invisalign aligners for eating and drinking
Removing your Invisalign at the right time, is also a part of your cleaning routine. By removing them you ensure that your aligners do not come into close contact with food or beverages that can cause staining. Removing your aligners also gives you a chance to clean your teeth thoroughly.
While you do not have to remove Invisalign to drink water, we recommend that you do because you are creating a habit and you might forget to remove them when you’re drinking something else.
Soaking Your Invisalign Aligners
It is a good idea to let your Invisalign aligners soak while you are eating and drinking, or when you brush your teeth, so that they can also get a thorough clean.
Invisalign cleaning crystals are the right cleanser to use, in order to remove bacteria and debris and in order to protect the aligners from damage.
Never use very hot or warm water for rinsing, soaking or cleaning your aligners. If the temperature of the water is too hot you could re-shape your Invisalign braces.
Brush And Floss Your Teeth
While your Invisalign aligners are soaking, it’s a good time to brush and floss your teeth. Remember to brush your teeth thoroughly because any residual bacteria will become trapped between your teeth and the aligner and may lead to infection.
How To Clean Invisalign
Your Invisalign aligners should be brushed with a different toothbrush to the one you use on your teeth. Your Invisalign toothbrush should be soft bristled and gentle. You will use antibacterial soap and a gentle rubbing motion to clean your aligners of debris. You shouldn’t brush to hard either because even with a soft bristled brush it is possible to damage your aligners.
Do not use toothpaste to clean your Invisalign, only your teeth! This often surprises patients but remember that toothpastes often have microscopically abrasive particles in them, which can cause damage. This damage is often in the form of very small tears and abrasions that can harbour bacteria. Other toothpastes may make the surface of your Invisalign aligner shiny- and thus very noticeable.
After cleaning or rinsing Invisalign, your aligners should be left to dry completely. Use the Invisalign case for this, because leaving your aligners in the open will attract bacteria – and maybe even some dust, which isn’t very helpful after a clean.
The importance of cleaning your Invisalign aligners
Your Invisalign aligners are in close contact with your teeth, so they must be kept free of bacteria, otherwise it will be introduced into your mouth. Not cleaning them can lead to staining that can make them more visible. Not following your dentist’s specific care instructions can also cause damage.
For personalised advice on how to clean Invisalign please contact us for an appointment: (02) 8203 8760
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