Tooth brush and water, retainer cleaner or Invisalign crystals, or ultrasonic

We recommend our patients clean their aligners with water and a clean toothbrush without toothpaste.  Toothpastes have abrasives in them and will scratch the surfaces of the aligners.  This will make the aligner look less clear and also creates small traps for bacteria.

Invisalign does not recommend this, but retainer tablets work well once or twice a week.  Our patients have not had any problems with cleaning in this manner.  The Invisalign crystals can be used, but are quite costly and not available outside the United States.

Finally, there are personal-sized ultrasonic cleaner available.  These devices cause very fine vibrations and waves to loosen and material stuck to your aligners.