The beauty of wearing clear aligner trays is that no one knows you are wearing them. However, if they are stained because you do not care for them well, your secret is out. In addition, dirty aligner trays can have a buildup of bacteria, which can cause accelerated tooth decay.
A Cleaning Routine
We want to help you to form a routine to keep your trays clean. This is the easiest way to clean aligner trays, because after you know the routine it becomes a mindless task.
After you have worn your trays all night, take your aligner trays out and give them both a good brushing. During the day you will take your trays out to eat and drink. When you do, brush them right away. By creating a routine of brushing them each time you take them out of your mouth, after a while you will not even need to think about it. Buy a travel toothbrush and keep it in your purse or bag for this purpose.
Many people ask if rinsing them is better. Rinsing the aligner trays does remove saliva and some plaque, but brushing is far superior to rinsing. If you are unable to brush them when you take them out of your mouth, rinsing is better than nothing.
You also need to soak your aligner trays once a day. Many products in the dental aisle are good for this purpose. However, if the product contains cleaning crystals, this may be the best option. When they are done soaking, brush the aligner trays. Do you see a pattern? Brush your aligner trays consistently to keep them clean.
Trust Our Expertise on Keeping Your Aligners Clean
Brushing, rinsing, and soaking are great ways to keep your aligner trays clean. Contact our office if you suspect your aligner trays have a build-up of bacteria. Be diligent about your cleaning routine.