How to clean and care for your aligners
Your aligners are worn during the day and at night. In order to ensure the efficacy and durability of the clear aligners, they must be well cared for. We will provide you with helpful tips and explain why home remedies are unsuitable for cleaning the aligners.
Care begins with oral hygiene
Hygiene is key when it comes to your oral health and wearing your aligner. As you will be wearing your aligner between 20-22 hours a day, and only to take it out for eating and drinking, you should be aware that bacteria builds in your mouth after consuming food and drinks.
Insert aligners correctly
1. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before inserting the aligners.
2. Brush and floss your teeth thoroughly. This is especially important if you have just eaten. If you are unable to brush your teeth, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water to remove any food residue.
3. Carefully take your aligners out of the case and insert each aligners individually.
4. Gently check with your finger that they fit properly. It is important that you do not try to move the aligners into position by clenching your teeth. This could damage them.
What you should keep in mind when taking the aligners out
In order not to damage your aligners, you should only take them out when it is really necessary, for instance when eating or brushing your teeth. You should wash your hands thoroughly before removing the aligners. Use your fingertips to remove the aligners and never use sharp objects. Once you have removed the aligners, rinse them with cold or lukewarm water. Please do not use hot water, as this could damage the material. After rinsing, you can store them in your aligner case until you need to put them back in.
The proper way to clean the aligners is simple
In addition to cleaning in between inserting and removing, daily care in the morning is particularly important. Start the day fresh and don't give any bacteria the opportunity to grow. There are many tips on the internet for cleaning aligners using various home remedies. We will explain below why you should not use them. Instead, we'll show you how to do it right, and it's much easier than you think.
Daily care with a toothbrush and mild toothpaste
For daily care, it is sufficient to clean your aligners thoroughly once with a soft toothbrush and mild toothpaste and then rinse it under cold to lukewarm water. This is the best way to get your aligners clean without damaging them.
Baking soda, baking powder, vinegar and other household remedies and cleaning agents are unsuitable.
Home remedies have been proven to work in many different ways, but when it comes to cleaning your aligners, it's best to steer away from them. Even though the aligners are strong enough to shift your teeth, they are still very sensitive and can be easily damaged by improper handling and care. The material can roughened and the plastic clouded by improper cleaning solutions. This will make your clear aligners more visible, which is something you want to avoid.
How often should I clean the aligners?
You should clean your aligner thoroughly with toothpaste and a toothbrush every morning and evening. Otherwise, it depends on how often you take your aligner out during the day. After taking them out, rinse them with water briefly. This will maintain the quality of the aligner and prevent bacteria from affecting your dental health.
Avoid discolouring the aligners
To ensure that your clear aligners remains invisible, it is important that you take good care of them.
Tips to prevent discolouration in aligners
To avoid discolouration of the aligners, you should avoid nicotine, coffee and tea. Acidic foods and fruit juices can also cause discolouration and even damage the material of the aligners.
How to clean already discoloured aligners
The only way to whiten discoloured aligner is to clean them thoroughly. If cleaning with toothpaste or soap does not lead to any apparent whitening, the aligner must be replaced.
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