How To Clean Invisalign Retainers

Using the Invisalign system gives you a way to improve your smile’s alignment without the hardware of wire braces and brackets installed in your mouth. To ensure that you maintain good oral health while using the Invisalign system, you need to know how to clean Invisalign retainers and aligner trays. Keeping these components clean will prevent stains and bacterial growth that could make you sick.

Are Invisalign Retainers and Aligners the Same?

Before breaking down the care, handling, and cleaning of aligners and retainers, you need to know the differences between these tools. You may wear both during your Invisalign treatment, but you don’t use them at the same time or for the same reason.

About Invisalign Aligners

Invisalign aligners are the clear trays that you wear over your top and bottom teeth during the active portion of treatment. Each of these trays uses gentle pressure to realign your teeth into their correct positions. Most people will wear a new set of aligner trays each week or two as they move toward achieving a better smile.

About Invisalign Retainers

Invisalign uses its own brand of retainers called Vivera. Like Invisalign aligners, these retainers use a scan of your mouth to create a customized piece designed just for you. While aligners help you to get a great smile, retainers help you to maintain it. Without wearing your retainers as directed by your dentist, your teeth could return to their pre-treatment positions.

While you change to a new set of aligners weekly, you will use your retainers much longer. Each set of retainers will require replacement when they crack and begin to show age, but this can take weeks of use. Therefore, the cleaning and care processes you use for your retainers are more important in protecting their longevity and safety.

How to Use the Invisalign System with Aligners and Retainers

The first step in the Invisalign system is weighing the pros and cons with your dentist to find out if this method can help you. While many people can use Invisalign, some people may not get the same perks from it. For instance, many young teens may not be capable of following the directions for properly using Invisalign and won’t get the same benefits from the system. They may have better results from braces. Only your dentist can tell you which type of orthodontic correction will help you the most.

Getting Invisalign

After agreeing to Invisalign, the first stage is providing the dentist with information for creating the trays. You’ll have your teeth scanned. These scans allow the software to produce the virtual mold used by the lab to produce your custom-made aligners. The scans also let the dentist show you a future progression of how your smile will change throughout treatment. Thanks to the software, you can see what your newly aligned smile looks like before you leave the dentist.

Using Invisalign Aligner Trays

Once you receive the trays, you’ll once more visit your dentist to ensure that the first set fits properly and you know how to use the system. You will wear each top and bottom set over your teeth all day and night except for when you eat, drink, or care for your teeth. To get the fastest results, you should keep the aligners in place for up to 22 hours every day.

Once a week, you’ll change your trays to the next set and continue with the treatment. Occasionally, you’ll make follow-up visits with your dentist to make sure that your teeth continue to be on track with their progress.

Maintaining Results with Retainers

At the end of the aligner treatment, you’ll switch to using a set of retainers. How long you use the retainers depends on multiple factors. Therefore, use your dentist’s recommendations. Some people need to wear them every night, while other people may only need retainers a few nights a week. The retainers keep your teeth in place and help you to keep your straighter smile.

Keeping Your Invisalign System Clean

Since you wear both your aligner trays and retainers for hours daily, you will want to ensure that they are clean. Keeping these trays clean prevents stains and helps you to avoid odors and other problems from bacterial proliferation.

How to Clean Aligner Trays

With Invisalign aligner trays, you need to clean them and keep them clean in a two-part process. First, you should clean the aligners once a day. Rinse the trays in warm water and use the Invisalign cleaning crystals or other aligner cleaners to clean the trays. Avoid denture cleaners or mouthwash for cleaning your aligners. The makers of Invisalign note that these products can damage the material used in the trays, rendering them discolored or cloudy.

Before you replace the aligners in your mouth, brush your teeth. Brushing helps to prevent food stains from developing on your aligners. Plus, by removing food particles before replacing the trays, you can prevent odors from developing in the trays.

How to Clean Invisalign Retainers

Invisalign retainers have a similar cleaning process. However, because you don’t wear retainers all day, you can clean them when removing them in the morning. Rinse off the retainers with warm water. Brush off anything from inside the trays with a soft-bristled toothbrush.

As with aligners, make sure that you brush your teeth before placing the retainers in your mouth at night. You’ll prevent odors in the retainers and keep the retainers clean.

Learn More About Invisalign with a Consultation at Cedar Walk Family and Cosmetic Dentistry

If you want to enjoy a better smile without the time and know more about the benefits of Invisalign, visit us for a consultation. At Cedar Walk Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, we help our patients to improve their smiles with our variety of cosmetic dental services, including Invisalign. Schedule your visit by contacting us at your earliest convenience. We want to help you have a great smile and keep it with Invisalign aligners and retainers.