Congratulations! You are now on the road to creating a beautiful, functioning, and healthy smile for yourself. You have taken the first (big step) on your journey to optimum oral health. You have met Dr. Ahn, our nationally renowned Invisalign expert. You made a decision to improve the health of your teeth. You have been scanned with our Itero Magic wand. You have now been given your first set of invisible plastic (resin) trays. You are amazed at how comfortable and unobtrusive the trays are. They are invisible to the public and almost to you. So other than wearing them for twenty-two hours a day, how do you take care of them until you get your next set (which is usually every week)?
Why Cleaning Your Aligners is Important
If the trays are not cleaned properly several unwanted things may occur. The trays could become a breeding ground for bacteria and food debris (that was left in the mouth after eating and not removed immediately by brushing or rinsing one’s mouth). This could lead to cavities and in rare extreme cases periodontal disease. The trays could produce an odor, a bad breath smell. Additionally, the trays could stain and instead of looking invisible, they could make one’s teeth look discolored. So it behooves us to keep our trays pristine, as clean as fresh as possible. This is easy to do when following these simple rules.
Steps to Keep you Clear Aligners Clean
- Rinse the trays with lukewarm water; never use hot water as it will deform the aligner.
- Brush trays gently with a small soft toothbrush that is used only for cleansing the aligners, use a circular motion, brush the inside and the outside. Use a pea-size amount of toothpaste when brushing the trays. There are products like “White Foam” that do a very good job in cleaning the trays if you do not want to use toothpaste.
- Rinse again with lukewarm water.
- Inspect your trays for calcium build-up (this is tartar from your mouth). If you see any discrepancies it is best to soak the trays for 15-30 minutes.
- Soak the trays with Invisalign retainer solution; there are very good home substitutes that can be used that are less costly including white vinegar plus lukewarm water in a 50%/50% solution or Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) plus lukewarm water 33% peroxide/66%water. Never use mouthwash as the color in the mouthwash will stain the trays (the trays are made of plastic resin; so no hot water or colored mouthwashes).
- Brush and rinse, now trays are ready for placement back in the mouth.
We want you to wear your trays for 22 hours per day. After cleaning your trays be sure to insert them right back into your mouth. After eating a meal or a snack it is best to rinse your mouth thoroughly and if possible floss. If at-home, brushing and flossing are even better. We do not want the trays inserted on top of teeth that have food debris lodged between them.
Book An Invisalign Appointment With 172 NYC Dental
Now it’s time to sit back and watch how your teeth will gently move into their proper position. Your beautiful, healthy smile awaits you. Please contact 172 NYC Dental at 646-921-5541 to start your journey!
