Invisalign is an effective treatment option to align your teeth and improve the look of your smile. One of the most important aspects of your treatment is cleaning your retainers. The retainers are fitted perfectly to your teeth and maintaining their cleanliness can ensure you prevent potential damage. Below you will find more information on the importance of cleaning retainers and helpful tips on how to care for them.
Invisalign Treatment
Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment that straightens your teeth through the use of retainers. Unlike traditional braces with wires and brackets, Invisalign uses a series of customized clear retainers that cover your teeth. The retainers gently reposition your teeth over time. The treatment takes on average one year, but can be longer for some patients. During treatment, you’ll have a number of retainers that you’ll need to wear for around 22 hours each day. You will change retainers every one to two weeks depending on your progress so they can continuously shift your teeth into the desired position. Despite regularly changing your retainers, they need to be consistently and thoroughly cleaned.
Importance of Cleaning Retainers
During Invisalign treatment, it’s important to treat your retainers just like your teeth. This includes thoroughly cleaning them at least twice a day. This is integral to the success of your treatment as cleaning your retainers can help keep harmful bacteria at bay. It can also help reduce the amount of plaque buildup on your teeth. Bacteria can easily build up on your teeth as your retainers are tightly fitted around your teeth. The harmful bacteria can lead to bad breath, gingivitis, tooth decay, or worse.
Tips for Cleaning Your Retainers
Cleaning your aligners everyday includes a combination of rinsing and cleaning. Below you will find helpful tips on how to clean your retainers each day.
- Rinse: Rinse your retainers every night and after each time you brush them. Be sure and use lukewarm water as hot water can warp your retainer.
- Soak: You can choose to soak your retainers before you brush them to loosen up any buildup. If you notice any plaque buildup on your retainers, you should consider soaking them. Talk with your orthodontist in Downtown LA about which products work with your retainers.
- Brush: Brush your aligners at least twice a day, but preferably after each time you eat. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and clear liquid soap. Be sure the liquid soap is gentle to preserve your retainers. Use a separate brush for your aligners for hygienic purposes. As you brush, remove all debris and buildup from the day using lukewarm water.
- Storage: Even if you only pull out your retainer for a short time, place it in a protective case. The case should be clean and dry. You should clean it each time you place your retainer in it to ensure that you always know it is clean. Failing to keep the storage container clean and dry can cause harmful bacteria to impact your retainers.
- Timing: The best way to be sure your retainers in Los Angeles are clean is take care of it at the same time that you complete your daily oral care routine. Combing them can ensure that you put clean retainers into your clean mouth. This can reduce the risk for tooth decay and help keep you on schedule in terms of your treatment timeline.
- Avoid: You may want to try new products during your Invisalign treatment, but there are some products you should avoid. Denture cleaners, mouthwashes, scented soaps, and toothpaste. You should also avoid toothbrushes with coarse bristles as they can be too harsh on your retainers.
