What’s the Proper Way to Clean My Invisalign?

If you’re ready to take the next step to having straight teeth, you may be interested in Invisalign treatment. These aligners are removable, so eating and drinking are easy. Since they sit in your mouth, they require regular cleaning. Here are some tips you can use to keep them clean and damage-free.

Daily Brushing or Soaking

According to Invisalign, you should wear your aligners between 20 and 22 hours a day. With so much time sitting in your mouth, bacteria can build up on the aligners. You can brush them gently with a toothbrush and colorless, odorless soap. In addition, you may want to soak them in the Invisalign cleaning tablets for 30 minutes.

Be Gentle

If you use brushing as a cleaning method, be aware of how hard you scrub. If you’re too abrasive, you can scratch the plastic. Cleaning solutions that are too abrasive, such as anything alcohol-based, are also too much for the aligners. Even toothpaste can be too abrasive, which is why a gentle soap is suggested if you don’t use the treatment kit.

Watch the Water Temperature

You may be tempted to use hot water to clean your Invisalign for ideal sanitation, but don’t. Hot water will warp the plastic material and damage the aligner. Only use lukewarm water, regardless of the cleaning method.

Don’t Use Mouthwash

There’s nothing like mouthwash to clean germs and prevent plaque in your mouth. However, it’s too strong for your delicate aligners. The alcohol in mouthwash can warp them, and the color could dye them as well. Most mouthwashes have some type of color like green, purple, or red, and they can tint your aligners. Colored aligners would take away one of their main benefits: invisibility!

Deep Clean Weekly

Do you have some white, distilled vinegar in your home? Mix some with a cup of lukewarm water and let your aligners soak for up to 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly afterward. This will help to keep your aligners clean and damage-free.

Using Invisalign to achieve straight teeth is convenient and discreet. Just remember that regular cleaning is part of your daily activity to protect your aligners and teeth from a build-up of germs and bacteria. If you’re ready for straight teeth, contact our office at Imagine Braces for an appointment.