Making sure you’re taking good care of your Invisalign Macleod aligners is just as important as the wearing of them. If left, they can quickly begin to build up in bacteria and plaque and become a greenhouse of nasty germs which will quickly cause gum disease and decay and of course damage the aligner trays. Here you will find top tips for taking care of your Invisalign.
What is Invisalign
Invisalign is an orthodontic system that uses clear plastic trays to move teeth from one position to a new one. They are very user friendly as they’re not only very subtle when being worn, but very comfortable too.
Top tips
First off there are going to be a couple of investments you may want to make in order to take care of your aligners.
Hard vented cases. You’re going to be taking your aligners out every time you eat and for this reason you may well want to carry a case with you all the time. When you get your aligners you might get a case, but it’s always a good idea to have a spare. You want one that’s hard so it’s going to protect the aligners, but it’s also a good plan to have one with vents so they have space to breathe whilst they’re in there.
A travel toothbrush kit. During your Invisalign journey you’ll get used to taking your braces out for eating and giving them a rinse when you pop them back in. Sometimes you might want to give your teeth a quick once over before you put the aligners back in, especially if you’ve eaten something particularly sugary, for this reason a travel toothbrush is really good to carry with you.
Cleaning your trays
Making sure you are cleaning your trays thoroughly every day is really important. As mentioned it is very easy for germs to build up on them and you really don’t want this, as those germs will then be sitting flush against your gums which is an area that’s already exceptionally prone to becoming infected.
You should be cleaning your teeth at least twice per day for at least two minutes and then flossing afterwards. If you aren’t already following these best practices then now is the time to start, as people going through orthodontic treatment are far more likely to develop decay and gum disease.
The best way to clean your braces is with a manual soft bristle toothbrush and a small amount of clear or white toothpaste, this just needs to be run along the inside and outside of the aligners. It’s recommended you do this once per day. The other cleaning method is to use a solution such as Invisalign cleaning crystals which is a product you dissolve in water and then soak the appliances in. These types of cleaning methods are great for removing bacteria you can’t see, and giving the braces back that crystal clear shine which makes them so desirable. You don’t need to use a solution like this every day, once every other is plenty.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.