Invisalign: Q&A

Ask a Question

How Do I Clean my Invisalign?

What is involved in cleaning Invisalign aligners? What do I need to do? How long does the invisalign cleaning process take?

Tags:

odor aligner cleaning

Comment on this

13 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon

Doctor Answers (13)
Community Comments (2)

Cleaning your Invisalign aligners!

This is one of the most frequently asked questions by my patients who I have treated with Invisalign! The aligners are best cleaned with a dab of toothpaste using a toothbrush. I recommend using regular toothpaste and not whitening toothpaste... some whitening toothpastes are abrasive and may dull the aligner... Additionally it is not recommended to use denture cleaners or soak them in mouthwash; again this may dull he aligners and can make the aligners more visible. Please Please Please!!! Br more

Cleaning Invisalign Trays

This is one of those KISS principles: Keep It Simple. Regular toothpaste with your toothbrush is fine, and recomended. Other products can discolor the aligners, making the teeth look somewhat yellow. They are replaced every two weeks, so it is a minor issue, but if it becomes too complicated it won't be followed through. But most importantly is to brush and floss after each meal. The aligners start to act in the way a bleaching tray does, so if food and low pH saliva are trapped, the... more

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... more

You might also like...

Real Stories

Tray 2 out of 20

I'm a 35 years old male who never had braces. I decided to finally get it over with after...

Before + After Photos

View 205 Invisalign photos

Cleaning Invisalign aligners

Invisalign aligners can easily be cleaned with a mild denture cleaner with a normal tooth brush. After brushing and flossing your teeth you can pour a little mouthwash over the aligners and this will help in keeping your mouth feeling fresh.

Cleaning Aligners

Invisalign recommends their cleaning crystals that you can purchase from their website. I tell patients to use water and a toothbrush. If you are close to switching to the next aligner then it is okay to use mouthwash or other denture cleaners. You might get the aligner to become a little cloudy, but you will only have to wear this aligner for a few more days. If the aligners start to really smell then you can soak them in some water mixed with a teaspoon of bleach. The bleach will kill all... more

Care Instructions for Invisalign Product

The Invisalign trays should be cleaned with a toothbrush and toothpaste prior to placing them back into the mouth after every meal. Always use cold water as hot water could distort the trays.

How do I clean invisalign aligners?

Very simple: To clean your aligners, use a separate brush, liquid soap and clean as if you are cleaning a baby bottle. It works and results are great. Before I answered this question, I brushed two sample aligners for two weeks but I used liquid soap for one and rinsed it nicely and used tooth-paste for the other. This was to prove the one with tooth-paste gradually looked worse due to abrasives in the tooth-paste so the liquid soap was cheap and won the award... more

Cleaning aligners

The easiest way to clean your aligners is to simply use your regular toothpaste and brush the aligners when you brush your teeth. Fortunately you will be getting a new set of trays every two weeks so the aligners should never get extremely dirty.

Good question!

All toothpastes have abrasives in them so you run the risk of "fogging" them. I usually recomment to my patients to brush them with a toothpaste and water and soak the in a denture cleanser like "Kleen Brite." If you soak them in mouth wash, they will stain the color of the mouthwash. The nice thing is that you put new aligners in every two weeks!

Cleaning Invisalign

For all my Invisalign patients I recommend that they brush their aligners twice a day using liquid soap and an old toothbrush using cold water only. While many advocate using tooth paste to clean the aligners I feel that the abrasives in the tooth paste will dull the surface of the aligners and allow staining to occur. While brushing an aligner with tooth paste over a 2 week period may not abrade the surface that much when you finish your treatment and are wearing retainers long term they... more

Doctors will not see your comments on their answers. If you'd like to follow up, please go here to ask another question.

Comments (2)

Charlene Jackson
5 days ago

I recommend buying a retainer/denture box to let them soak in as you do other stuff. I use efferdent cleaning tabs that you put in there with some water and it helps break all of the stuff off (especially if you have many attachment sites for stuff to build up in). This is especially helpful first thing in the morning. Other than that, I clean with a white toothpaste and regular toothbrush.

PixieDust2
3 months ago

My suggestion is to clean your invisalign trays under running water using an electric toothbrush. Do not use toothpaste because it is abrasive and will produce micro scratches in the plastic, which provide surfaces for bacterial growth. After brushing I soak the trays in denture cleaning solution while I finish a meal or snack, then sinse them thoroughly. I check them in good light to be certain that all gone has been removed. I also brush and floss every time. Since using these methods my trays have stayed consistently clean for the two week duration of each treatment. In the beginning I was brushing with toothpaste and within a few days it was difficult to get and keep the trays clean.

Ask a Question

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.

Invisalign: Q&A