Invisalign® clear aligners offer a convenient option for straightening your teeth. However, you will need to take a few specific actions to ensure they stay fresh and clean in your mouth. In this post, our Langley dentists share some advice on how to care for your Invisalign clear aligners.
Caring for Langley Invisalign Clear Aligners
One of the advantages of going with Invisalign clear aligners for your orthodontic treatment is that many patients find them easy to care for. To improve your chances of success with Invisalign treatment, you’ll want to ensure you keep your aligners looking clean and fresh.
Because the clear aligners are transparent, they require diligent care and cleaning, along with highly disciplined regular oral hygiene habits to prevent bacteria from becoming trapped between your teeth and the aligners. This can cause plaque buildup on your teeth, discolouration and bad breath — along with damage to both your tooth enamel and your aligners. Yuck!
To avoid these consequences, you can take these actions to ensure your aligners remain clean and fresh:
Clean Your Langley Invisalign Aligners
When you clean your aligners, take these 4 simple steps:
Rinse.
Remove your aligners and use running water to rinse them before putting them back in your mouth.
Brush.
Use warm water and clear antibacterial soft soap to gently brush your aligners at least twice a day. Never use toothpaste, as it will harm them since it’s too abrasive.
Soak.
Put your aligners in Invisalign’s specialized cleaning crystals to soak once each week. The crystals will dissolve in water, creating the special cleaning solution.
Repeat.
For the duration of your treatment, repeat these steps to keep your aligners clean, fresh and free of bacteria. It will also keep bacteria, plaque and germs under control.
Store Your Aligners
Your aligners will come with a portable case. When they’re not in your mouth, store them in here so they don’t get damaged or covered in bacteria.
Change Your Aligners
Most patients will change to the next set of aligners in their series every two weeks. Your dentist will tell you how often you should change yours, based on your treatment plan.