The Do’s and Don’ts of Car­ing for Your Invisalign Aligners

Failing to care for your aligners, or making some simple yet common mistakes could lead to various issues with your treatment plan. The biggest factor you need to worry about is tooth decay linked to poor maintenance. You might also be worried about your nearly invisible treatment becoming a lot more visible due to aligner stains.

Read on to learn some of the most common dos and don’ts that go hand in hand with Invisalign treatment. Following this advice will help you to enjoy a smoother treatment plan without complications. It will also enable you to enjoy all of the benefits associated with the Invisalign journey.

Do: Clean your aligners twice a day

The most important thing to remember when starting the treatment plan is that you need to clean your aligners when you clean your teeth. Your aligners will pick up bacteria and nasties throughout the day, so they need to be cleaned in order to protect your teeth.

Failing to clean your aligners will expose your teeth to high levels of bacteria which could increase the risk of tooth decay and tooth loss – which is not ideal when you are trying to improve the appearance of your smile.

Don’t: Use abrasive cleaning products

When it comes to cleaning your aligners, it is possible to do too much. Using harsh or abrasive cleaning materials could lead to small scratches on the aligners. This will make the clear plastic appear cloudy, which is counterintuitive to the “nearly invisible” promise of Invisalign aligners.

Harsh products include toothpaste with polishing ingredients like baking soda or charcoal. Aggressive brushing could also lead to discolouration of the aligners, which will impact your confidence when you are wearing them.

Do: Rinse every time you remove them

You’ll need to remember to remove your aligners every time you eat or drink anything other than water. It’s essential to get into the habit of rinsing your aligners before you replace them.

Your aligners will hold on to bacteria from your mouth, and this will be neutralised by saliva. Once removed from your mouth, the bacteria will multiply and this can allow bad smells (and a bad taste) to develop. The easiest way to prevent this and to make the treatment plan more pleasant would be to rinse the aligners before you replace them.

Don’t: Use mouthwash

Another way that patients can do “too much” when it comes to caring for their aligners is by using mouthwash. This could include swishing mouthwash while wearing your aligners, and soaking your aligners in mouthwash.

Most mouthwash is blue or green, and this colour can transfer to your aligners if you leave it in contact with the plastic for too long. You can use mouthwash while undergoing Invisalign treatment, just be sure to remove your aligners first and don’t try to clean your aligners with mouthwash.

The exception would be occasionally using mouthwash to clean your aligners in an emergency. For example, if you are travelling and forget to bring aligner cleaning tablets, you can use mouthwash in a pinch. However, we don't recommend making a habit of it.

Do: Remember to replace your aligners after cleaning

After you have cleaned your aligners, don’t make this common mistake and leave your aligners in the bathroom while you get on with your day. Forgetting to replace your aligners after you clean them can derail your treatment plan by making it impossible to wear them for enough time.

Don’t: Drink hot liquids

Eating while wearing your aligners is an obvious no-no, but did you know you also need to remove them before enjoying hot drinks like tea or coffee. It might seem innocent enough, but the hot water will warp your aligners and make them completely ineffective.

If you’re curious about Invisalign treatment and want to know more, get in touch with our team today. We can guide you through the process of deciding if this is the right treatment plan for you.