3 Tips for Caring for Invisalign Alignment Trays

One disadvantage many patients who choose Invisalign orthodontics experience is discoloration of their alignment trays. When you wear these clear, plastic appliances for weeks at a time, they may begin to turn a yellow-orange color and they can smell bad. In this post, we’ll talk about some easy ways to avoid this discoloration and odor and keep your aligners crystal clear, so you can smile confidently throughout your Invisalign treatment plan.

1 – Brush Your Aligner At least Twice a Day

Your aligners should be treated just like your smile. Anytime you brush your teeth, take a few moments to brush the aligners too. This should include brushing at least once in the morning and once before bed. For best results, you may want to brush teeth and alignment trays after meals as well. Take care to brush gently using toothpaste and cool water. Warm water may warp your plastic aligner tray. Following brushing, carefully examine the Invisalign tray for signs of discoloration to ensure you’re cleaning thoroughly enough.

2 – Soak in Cleaner During Meals

During meals, consider soaking your aligner trays in water or a mixture of water and mouth rinse. This will keep the alignment trays safe, but it will also remove plaque, bacteria, and food items before they have a chance to stick to your aligners. Plus, if you soak your Invisalign trays in mouth rinse, you’ll have minty fresh breath!

3 – Cleaning Your Teeth is Just as Important

If you don’t take just as much if not more time to brush and floss teeth each day as you do to care for your alignment trays, you will still struggle to keep your aligner clean. Brush at least two minutes at a time at least twice a day, floss once daily, and take the time to rinse out your mouth after meals if you don’t have time to brush.

What NOT to Do

As important as it is to keep your aligners clean by following these oral hygiene steps, it’s also essential to avoid certain habits, including:

• Don’t use hot or warm water to clean alignment trays as this can damage them
• Avoid brushing too firmly as you may inadvertently wear down the ridges that hold the aligners to your teeth
• Check for breaks, cracks, or warping and let your dentist know right away if you need a new aligner

Meet the New England Kids Team

At New England Kids, we offer a variety of treatment options to help patients achieve their desired smile alignment and look and feel their very best. If you want to learn more about Invisalign clear braces or any of our other treatment options, call to schedule an appointment today. We look forward to seeing your smile!