Caring for Your Aligners While Straightening Your Smile

Dr. Wallace Lunden and our dental team are pleased to offer clear aligners for our patients wanting to straighten their teeth discreetly without brackets and wires. Many of our patients in Minneapolis, Minnesota have successfully used the Invisalign® clear aligner system to align their smile.

As you invest time and energy into wearing your aligners 22 hours a day, you will want to care for them to support their integrity while they shift your teeth into place. Let’s take a look!

–What to do when you take them out: Once you take your aligners out, rinse them with cold water to remove bacterial accumulation and saliva buildup before you put them back in.

–Avoid exposing them to heat: Please don’t clean your aligners with hot water, as heat can warp them and impact their integrity. While it may be tempting to run them through the dishwasher, the heat will not be kind to aligners.

–Cleaning your smile: Since you remove your aligners for eating, brush and floss your teeth thoroughly before putting the aligners back in. You want to remove food particles and oral debris which could promote bacterial growth.

–Cleaning your aligners: It is safe to clean your aligners with antibacterial soap while rinsing them well to remove soapy residue before you put them back in your mouth. Although you might be tempted to use toothpaste on your aligners, it can scratch them and make them more visible when you wear them.

–Sanitizing your aligners: You might think mouthwash would be a good way to remove germs, mouthwashes with green or blue coloring can actually tint the aligners and make them more visible when you wear them. Instead, soak them in denture or retainer cleaner to avoid discoloration.

Do you have questions about caring for your clear aligners in Minneapolis, Minnesota? Please call our Cedar Point Dentistry team at 612-822-2176 to find out more or to schedule a consultation. Dr. Wallace Lunden and our team are happy to help you receive the care your smile deserves with Invisalign!