If you’re looking for a discreet treatment that can straighten your mildly to moderately overcrowded grin, you might benefit from Invisalign. This clear alternative to traditional braces utilizes transparent plastic trays that fit snuggly over your teeth to shift them rather than bulky metal brackets.
However, you must wear your aligners for 20 to 22 hours daily, giving bacteria trapped between your teeth and your orthodontics plenty of time to flourish. You’ll need to clean your smile consistently to prevent problems like cavities and gum disease. Continue reading to learn more about how to keep your mouth clean with Invisalign!
Step #1: Remove Your Invisalign
It might seem like it goes without saying, but it’s imperative that you remove your trays both morning and night to complete your twice-daily dental hygiene routine. With only 2 hours available for meals and washings, you might want to set a timer to ensure that you finish your regimen and reinsert your trays so you don’t forget. If you leave them off too long, your teeth can revert to their previous placements, potentially adding weeks to your overall treatment timeline.
Step #2: Brush and Floss Your Teeth
Cavities and gum disease occur when bacteria in your mouth erode your enamel or infect your connective tissues. Thoroughly brushing and flossing your teeth morning and night removes plaque buildup to prevent them.
To do so, gently scrub your pearly whites, holding your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to cleanse along your gumline. You should follow this with flossing to remove leftover food or other debris from between your chompers or below the surface of your connective tissues. Some patients find it helpful to use a water flosser instead to avoid having to twine string around their fingers and glide it between their teeth.
Step #3: Wash Your Trays, Too
Although your Invisalign can’t get cavities, germs in your mouth can form plaque on its surface that increases the likelihood of developing gum disease or tooth decay. That means you must also clean your trays.
You can gently scrub them with a soft-bristled brush and clear dish soap that won’t abrade the surface. It’s also a good idea to clean out the carrier case so you don’t contaminate your recently washed trays with bacteria left behind in their storage container.
Once you’ve finished all three steps, you can rinse off your Invisalign before reinserting it and continuing with your day as usual!
Meet the Author
Dr. Payam Ishani enjoys helping people of all ages improve their quality of life by enhancing their dental status. He graduated from the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry, then completed specialty training in dentofacial orthopedics and orthodontics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Today, he offers various treatments to improve oral health and appearance using state-of-the-art equipment in a family-friendly atmosphere. If you want to straighten your smile, you can request a consultation on the website or call (405) 254-5094.