How to Clean Invisalign Without Toothpaste

Invisalign retainers are one of the greatest inventions of modern dentistry. With them, people have been able to have the straight, happy, bright smiles they have always wanted, without invasive surgery or the long-lasting uncomfortable feelings that come with traditional braces.

Because of Invisalign, patients are able to slowly but surely craft the smile of their dreams with a clear retainer that isn’t visible to the naked eye. That means that you could have a straight and stunning smile
without anyone even knowing that you’re wearing the retainers.

But just because Invisalign comes with many benefits, doesn’t mean they don’t also have a few requirements that can be a bit annoying. Many patients are surprised to find out that they have to learn how to clean Invisalign retainers. But if you want to have the sort of Invisalign teeth that people pay so much money for, you will have to clean your Invisalign retainers.

Some people choose Invisalign vs. braces because they like that they are invisible but then they are let down when they find out the amount of work they have to put into cleaning them.

But the good news is that there are several ways to clean your Invisalign retainers with relative ease. Is toothpaste one of them? There are many people who assume that toothpaste is one of the best methods of how to clean Invisalign products.

However, that is not the case. This Invisalign FAQ will explain why toothpaste is not a good way for you to clean your Invisalign – and let’s list a few options that work far, far better instead.

Do Not Use Toothpaste To Clean Your Invisalign

You use toothpaste twice a day to clean your teeth so it would make sense that you can use it to clean your Invisalign too, right? Wrong.

Toothpaste is not an ideal cleaning solution for your Invisalign products. That is because most brands of toothpaste have an abrasive ingredient, typically called silica, that helps remove the stains from your teeth.

While that works well on your teeth, it doesn’t work well on your Invisalign retainers. That is because the abrasive ingredients in toothpaste will actually make tiny, fine scratches on the aligners that will make them get stained a lot easier.

While it is possible for you to find a toothpaste that has a limited amount of the abrasive elements that will cause this problem, it is generally much smarter and safer to use different products to get the cleaning job finished.

How To Clean Invisalign Without Toothpaste

The good news is that you have plenty of options when it comes to maintaining and improving the look and performance of your Invisalign aligners.

The important thing to remember is that you clean your aligners often and that you do a good and thorough job each and every single time.

Clear Hand Soap

The most common cleaning solution that people use for their Invisalign aligners is one that we all have in our home: hand soap.

Clear hand soap with very minimal scents are the best way to clean your aligners. You should get a soft toothbrush, apply the wet soap and then start scrubbing your aligners.

Make sure that you don’t use heavily-scented soaps because they will stain your aligners due to the ingredients in them. And make sure that you properly soak the aligners once you are done cleaning them because you don’t want any soap remaining on the product when you put them back in your mouth.

Hand soap is the best option for daily cleaning of your Invisalign aligners. This is because it’s easy to use, easy to clean, and sits around your house all of the time.

Hydrogen Peroxide

There is nothing worse than yellowed or browned Invisalign aligners. People want their aligners to look clean and bright and healthy and discoloring prevents that.

But hydrogen peroxide will prevent this from happening. You can do this by creating a cleaning solution that is equal parts hydrogen peroxide and arm water. Then you simply let your Invisalign product soak in the solution for 20 minutes, rinse them off, and then just put them back in your mouth.

Now, keep in mind that it might take some time before any stains are removed. But if you continually do this a couple of times a week, it’ll start to show some positive results.

White Vinegar

The idea of bathing your Invisalign aligners in white vinegar might not sound ideal because of the smell and taste that is associated with vinegar. But this is one of the best ways to remove the hard buildup that can accumulate on your aligners. Indeed, it is now a regularly recommended way of how to clean Invisalign products.

To do this, just dilute one part of distilled white vinegar in three parts of water and then let your aligners soak for 15-20 minutes.

This process will loosen a lot of the plaque that naturally builds up over time. It is very important that when you are done, you rinse well and also use a soft toothbrush to get rid of any excess plaque and extra solution too.

What Not To Use

As mentioned before, toothpaste is not the right choice when you’re cleaning your Invisalign aligners. Instead, you should use any of the methods we said above.

But there are other processes that you shouldn’t take to keep your aligners in perfect shape. Not only is toothpaste bad for your aligners, but so is hot water. Hot water will warp and change the shape of your aligners and, pretty soon, they will not fit you well anymore.

Also, don’t use baking soda on your Invisalign aligners too. Like toothpaste, this too is very abrasive and will cause multiple scratches on the product.

No matter how you choose to clean your Invisalign product, make sure that you do some sort of cleaning procedure every single day. Just like you clean your teeth daily, you should also clean your Invisalign aligners too. Otherwise, they will not do a good job and won’t help your smile truly shine.

To ensure your smile will truly shine, contact Orthodontics Limited today!