Patients who want to straighten crooked-looking teeth can enhance their smiles with Invisalign. These clear-colored plastic aligners are custom-made for each patient for personalized treatment that will give targeted and gorgeous results.
Many patients appreciate the subtle, translucent appearance of Invisalign over their teeth compared to harsh metal braces. To ensure Invisalign aligners continue looking and feeling their best, you will need to make an effort to maintain them. Read on to find three tips for cleaning your Invisalign and keeping them looking pristine throughout your treatment.
Keeping Your Invisalign Clean
Remove Aligners While Eating and Drinking
A major draw of Invisalign compared to other traditional orthodontics is the ability to take the aligners out of the mouth. This way, patients will not have to avoid certain foods to protect their oral appliances. In fact, dentists request that you remove Invisalign any time you eat or drink.
Food can become trapped in the aligners if you eat with them in place. This can become messy and leave unappealing particles in your smile after your meal.
If you consume foods or drinks that are dark in color, you could also risk leaving stains on your Invisalign if you do not remove them. The aligners could become yellow, which will not wash out and will impact the way that your smile appears for the rest of your treatment.
Continue Good Oral Hygiene Habits
Another benefit of being able to remove Invisalign is that you can take out the aligners to complete your oral hygiene as usual without interruptions. It is important that you continue to complete your oral hygiene regimen because you will continue to garner plaque on your smile throughout this treatment.
If plaque remains on your smile, it will eat away at your teeth. You could form cavities or other dental problems that could disturb your cosmetic treatment. This could lengthen the teeth straightening process and also cause your Invisalign to no longer fit as it should.
Therefore, make sure you brush your teeth twice per day and floss every day. Visit your dentist for regular teeth cleanings too to ensure maximum cleanliness for your smile.
Complete Separate Cleaning for Invisalign
Plaque will accumulate on your Invisalign aligners as well as your smile throughout your day. So you will need to clean your Invisalign separately from the rest of your mouth if you want to keep your smile and appliance looking and feeling well.
You can brush your Invisalign at the same time as you do your smile. Use a specialized cleanser or non-abrasive toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush. This way, you do not leave scratches on the aligners.
Rinse them well before you place them back in your mouth. Do not use hot water as the high temperature could melt and warp the plastic so that it will no longer fit in your mouth. If this accident occurs, contact your dentist to obtain a replacement aligner.