The do’s and don’ts when you have Invisalign.
DO take your Invisalign trays out each morning to clean both your teeth and the trays thoroughly.
In order to maintain the health of both your teeth and your Invisalign trays you must clean the trays thoroughly. Having a morning and evening routine to clean both your teeth and the trays will be essential and helpful to get you in a great position to get the most out of your treatment.
Thoroughly cleansing at the beginning and end of every day is crucial as the bacteria in your mouth and on your teeth can build up on the trays whilst you sleep at night and during the day.
Establishing this daily routine will ensure the optimum health of your teeth and your Invisalign trays.
DO rinse your Invisalign trays every time you remove them.
As well as your morning and evening cleaning routines, you should also rinse your aligners every time you remove them.
Not only is this a quick and easy process but this will also keep any dried saliva or plaque from building up as well as any dirt or dust that would have collected whilst you had them out and exposed to a lot of air.
An easier hack to clean your aligners whilst you are out is to clean them by using a little (pea sized amount) of an unscented and clear antibacterial soap/gel and a small soft-bristled toothbrush. This will get rid of any small particles that could have stuck on to the trays and keep the aligners looking clean and clear.
To get yourself used to the cleaning process you should pack what you need to properly care for your aligners and always carry them with you!
This is to ensure that wherever you go, you are able to properly care for your Invisalign trays, even when you are not home.
DO soak your aligners once a day
In order to keep your aligners looking and smelling their best, it is a good idea to soak your aligners at least once a day. You can soak your aligners in either a denture cleaner or specialised Invisalign cleaning crystals that you can get from us!
Once they are done soaking, use a separate toothbrush (not one that you use to brush your teeth with) to gently brush off any food or plaque build up. Then simply rinse them before easily placing them back into your mouth.
DO brush and floss your teeth before you put the trays back in;
Keeping your teeth and gums clean is also very important otherwise you will still have dental problems further down the road. In order to avoid food particles that could potentially get trapped against your teeth inside the aligners, you must always brush and floss your teeth.
In order to prevent this, always take your aligner case with you ( as well as your aligner cleaning tools) no matter where you go. If, by any chance, you forget and accidentally leave them out for a few hours, be sure to soak and rinse them before putting them back in your mouth.
Do the same routine you would do, just like you normally would if you were not wearing aligners, before putting your trays back in for optimal oral health.
DO NOT use the same toothbrush to clean your teeth and your Invisalign trays.
It may seem like an efficient and easy option to use the same toothbrush you use to clean your teeth, to also clean your Invisalign trays. However, I am here to deter you from doing that!
Not only will the same bacteria transfer from your mouth to the plastic trays, but a big toothbrush that is used for a human mouth will be too big and rough for an Invisalign tray. They were not made to endure that kind of pressure therefore resulting in you inadvertently damaging your aligners.
You can use a small bristles toothbrush that our dentists will also be able to provide you with.
DO NOT eat or drink with your Invisalign trays in your mouth.
The only thing you can drink while you are wearing your Invisalign trays is water. Other than water, you should not eat or drink while you have your Invisalign in your mouth.
For all other drinks and foods, you must first take the aligners out before you proceed to consume anything. It is imperative that you remove your Invisalign trays because food particles can get stuck in your aligners. This could lead to build up and would be very unhygienic if not cleaned correctly.
Eating with your Invisalign trays in your mouth can also result in the trays getting stained and damaged. Invisalign aligners are not designed to support the pressure of eating. Therefore, if you do eat with them in, it is very likely that they will get damaged.
DO NOT forget to plan for long trips.
In order to avoid prolonging your treatment, planning is needed during Invisalign as you need to switch aligners every few weeks. By planning ahead we are able to provide you with the next set of aligners for you to pack with you and switch in time while you are away.
There is also an option for us to possibly ship the new set of aligners to you while you are away if you are away for more than six weeks, just to ensure that there are no disruptions in your treatment.
DO NOT use coloured or scented soaps OR toothpaste to clean your Invisalign trays.
Although you wear each set of Invisalign trays for a couple weeks, cleaning them properly is very important. In that short amount of time, with improper care, you can cause damage to your teeth.
When cleaning your Invisalign trays you should avoid using toothpaste or any coloured or scented soaps as they can leave residue on your Invisalign trays and cause damage or discolouration. They can also give your trays an unpleasant taste. These are all important things to consider when deciding how to clean Invisalign trays as well as how often.
Your dentist can inform you about the best ways to clean your Invisalign as well as recommend the most effective products to use.
DOT NOT scratch them.
If you take good care of your aligners they will last the entire length of your treatment. The aligners can get scratched when you are being too abrasive whilst cleaning and can even break if they are pulled out too suddenly, so be careful when you are handling them.
DO NOT get them dirty.
It is very important that the only thing you consume while having your Invisalign trays in is WATER. Anything dark or highly pigmented has the potential to stain your aligners. This not only looks very unpleasant, it makes your aligners very visible and can also create a very unpleasant odour.Do your best to thoroughly clean your teeth and your trays as often as recommended.
DO NOT play with your aligners.
We understand that it is very tempting to play with your aligners with your tongue, especially after the first couple of days of getting them fitted. Try your best not to. Those first couple of days, although uncomfortable, are vital in making sure your aligners do their job. Continuously playing with the aligners in your mouth can scratch them or misplace them, hindering the effectiveness of them. This can also result in your mouth getting very sore.
DO NOT forget your aligners and leave them out.
Leaving your aligners out for long periods of time can hinder your treatment as your teeth are prone to moving. Leaving your aligners out also means that they are more likely to get lost. Whenever your aligners are out of your mouth make sure that they get rinsed to avoid saliva and bacteria build up and are in their case.
DO NOT forget to brush both your teeth and the aligners.
It isn’t enough to thoroughly cleanse your aligners and not your teeth. Bacteria can transfer which can result in very unpleasant consequences for both your teeth and your aligners.It is imperative that whenever you can, do your best to brush and floss your teeth properly and clean your aligners to make sure they are free of any bacteria build up. Not cleaning your aligners properly can cause bad breath. Cleaning them as often as recommended can remedy this. Another suitable option is to rinse your mouth with lukewarm water often or to chew sugarless gum (of course while your Invisalign trays are not in your mouth).
Book an appointment today with one of our practices in Wandsworth, South West London or Esher, Surrey to find out how Invisalign can restore your smile.