You’re on your way to a beautiful smile.
Clear aligners can reshape your teeth to get the teeth you’ve always wanted. But are they that easy?
Caring for clear aligners isn’t difficult. You’ll have no trouble with the care and cleaning if you follow the handy tips below.
Your Guide to Caring for Clear Aligners
Clear aligners come out ahead of braces when you compare the two, but they aren’t maintenance free. You still have to take care of them, including cleaning and storing them the right way.
Rinse Them
After you remove the clear aligners from your mouth, you have to rinse them with water. This helps take away any bacteria and other buildups.
Use the Case
You get a case when you get your clear aligners for a reason. The best place to store the aligners is in the case provided. If you use something else like a paper towel, pieces can get stuck to the aligners and surfaces you set them on can cause damage.
The best thing to do is bring the case with you when you know you’ll need to remove the aligners. That way you’ll always have somewhere to put them.
Prevent Staining
You shouldn’t drink beverages other than water with the aligners in your mouth. They are clear, and drinks like coffee, tea, and soda can stain the aligners. That makes your teeth look dirty or less white, even if they’re not.
Another reason to drink only water with the aligners in your mouth is they are temperature sensitive. Hot and cold beverages can damage the aligners, and then they won’t fit your teeth the right way.
Cleaning Your Clear Aligners
Toothpaste will damage clear aligners. But you also have to clean them somehow. Here are some tips for getting those aligners sparkling white and fresh.
Use the Kit
Invisalign or other clear aligner makers have kits that come with everything you need to clean the aligners. Make sure that you use the kit that comes with them because they are the right tool for the job.
Soak in Cleaning Solution
One of the best ways to clean the aligners is with the cleaning crystals made for aligners (like denture cleaner). Some of the kits come with these. If not, you can buy them in a separate order.
Wash with Soap
Use clear, antibacterial soap to clean the clear aligners. Don’t use colored soap because it can stain them. Remember not to use hot water or run the aligners through the dishwasher because the high temps can damage them.
Brush Them
But never use toothpaste. Toothpaste can damage the aligners, so you should always brush them without toothpaste. Don’t brush too vigorously or you can scratch them and take away from the clear effect.
Brush Your Teeth Before Reinserting
Before you put the clear aligners back in your mouth after eating, make sure you brush and floss your teeth. This ensures that your aligners stay clean, rather than absorbing the taste or smell of the last thing you ate.
Your Brightest Smile
If you are careful to follow these tips when cleaning and caring for clear aligners, you’ll keep the clear appearance with each new set of aligners.
Make sure to keep the tools you need with you so that you’re never caught having to make do or improvise.
Contact us to book an appointment today to get started with your clear aligners.