5 Essentials of Caring For Your Invisalign

The excitement from getting Invisalign braces often overshadows the responsibility behind them. These plastic and removable aligners are much easier to care for than a traditional set of braces.  Taking care of them is essential for your dental hygiene and ensuring they retain their form. 

Clean them regularly

Much like cleaning your teeth, you will want to clean your Invisalign aligners as well. Keeping up with Invisalign cleanings will help you avoid any bacteria build-up, which can be harmful to your mouth. 

Rinsing regularly

You will want to regularly rinse your aligners throughout the day. Every time you take them out to eat, you can carefully run them under warm tap water. This will help prevent bacteria build-up if you are out in public and can’t brush. 

Give them a bath

One of the easiest ways to care for your aligners is by soaking them and using an Invisalign cleaning solution. Consider an Invisalign cleaning crystal: A small tablet that dissolves in water and cleans your aligners. You just have to set your retainers in a cup of water, drop the tablet in, and after a few minutes, your aligners will be clean. 

Keep them secure

While your Invisalign aligners are normally safe in your mouth, it is when you take them out that you have to worry. For best results, keep them in your hard plastic case. Storing Invisalign products will keep them as secure as possible and will prevent you from potentially losing them. 

Oral hygiene

While it might seem trivial, oral hygiene is essential to keep your teeth clean. This will translate into a cleaner set of aligners because they won’t build up food particles or bacteria. Try to brush and floss after taking your aligners out to eat. This will help keep your aligners clean and clear. 

Bonus Invisalign care tips

You can also care for your Invisalign aligners by avoiding dark or acidic liquids with them still in your mouth. If it is possible, be sure to remove them if you are drinking soda or juice. If you can’t remove them but still need your soft drink of choice, try to rinse your aligners out with water after you finish your drink. 

Don’t eat with your aligners in. While it might seem like you can take a bite out of something with them in, you can’t. Aligners are made out of a much weaker material than your teeth; if you bite on them too hard, the aligners could break.

Caring for Invisalign aligners while traveling

While all of these tips are perfect for at-home life, there will be times when you take your aligners on vacation or away from home. The most important thing to keep in mind is to bring your case to store your aligners securely. 

If you can bring your Invisalign cleaning crystals with you, that will help a lot as well. You can instead bring a spare toothbrush and clean your clear aligners with non-abrasive soap; hand soap is good in a pinch, and the spare toothbrush can scrub them clean. 

If you have those two methods of storing and cleaning your aligner on hand, that might be all you need.

Getting into the cleaning habit

Caring for your Invisalign is a habit you will quickly develop. While it might seem difficult at first, it should get easier with time. The quicker you get into the habit of caring for your Invisalign aligners, the easier it will be during your treatment timeline. 

Learning how to properly care for your Invisalign is the first step in the road to straight teeth. The habit comes with time, and our team at Just for Kids Dentistry & Orthodontics is here to help you every step of the way. Schedule your appointment today, to get started implementing Invisalign care best practices today.