Invisalign aligners are removable, which makes brushing and flossing your teeth during treatment easy. But you must remember to keep the aligners themselves clean, too! Here’s how.
Cleaning
- Rinse your aligners every time you remove them. Dry saliva and plaque will otherwise build up on them over time and create an ideal breeding ground for foul smelling bacteria.
- Brush and floss before putting you aligners back in your mouth. This will prevent food particles from your meal from getting trapped in the tight space between your teeth and aligners.
- Clean your aligners with a mild, colourless anti-bacterial soap and a soft toothbrush regularly. This will get rid of unwanted bacteria and keep your aligners clean and fresh. Coloured soap may cause your aligners to become discoloured. Rinse thoroughly before putting the aligners back in your mouth.
Damage Prevention
- While you're wearing your aligners, don't consume anything other than water. Food and drinks can stain the aligners and cause them to smell bad over time.
- Toothpaste is abrasive, and should not be used to clean your aligners. It may cause them to become dull, and create small scratches that trap bacteria.
- Always clean clean your aligners and put them right back in their case when you aren't wearing them. Leaving your aligners out in the open exposes them to bacteria, and increases the likelihood that they’ll be damaged or lost.