Tips for Taking Care of Your Invisalign® Trays

Once, metal braces were the only way to straighten your teeth. Now, Invisalign® offers a clear, gentle system of aligners that straighten teeth in a discreet, nearly invisible way. They’re great for professionals and teens who desire straight teeth without a visible mouthful of cemented, metal hardware. 

But the very attributes that make Invisalign a great way to improve your smile make the trays vulnerable to mistreatment. Dr. David Blaustein, DDS at Chelsea Dental Aesthetics wants your Invisalign treatment to be a success, and that means taking good care of your trays.

Invisalign’s aligner trays, which you’ll wear 20 to 22 hours a day, gently nudge your teeth into place. You’ll remove the aligners when you eat, drink, or have a special event. You’ll switch out these custom-designed trays every two weeks, and visit Dr. Blaustein for a progress check and new trays every 6 to 8 weeks. 

Here are the dental problems that Invisalign can correct:

• Underbites, where lower teeth overlap your upper teeth
• Overbites, where upper teeth overlap your bottom teeth
• Crossbites, where upper and lower dental arches are misaligned
• Open bites, where teeth slant outward and aren’t correctly aligned when you close your mouth
• Gapped teeth
• Crooked teeth and crowded teeth

 Traditional metal braces are best when you want to correct more complicated dental problems. 

Tips on taking care of Invisalign trays 

Invisalign trays are composed of a flexible, patented plastic called SmartTrackTM, which is thin, clear, and easy on the mouth. The trays, however, are vulnerable to misuse and mistreatment.

Here’s what you must do to take care of Invisalign trays: 

Remove aligners

You should remove Invisalign trays every time you eat or drink anything other than cool water. Your nightly glass of red wine can stain aligners, and drinking coffee and tea can warp and discolor trays.

To remove aligners without damaging them, use your fingertips to gently remove the trays from your back molars first. Then, slowly work forward until the aligners are totally disengaged from your teeth. Never yank on aligners, as this can damage them. 

Protect aligners

When you remove your aligners, always put them in your Invisalign case. And keep the case in the same place, so you’ll always know where it is and will be more likely to stick to your regimen.

Clean aligners

If cleaned properly, Invisalign aligners will stay odor-free and clear. But if you don’t clean the trays the right way, they can become coated with plaque and start to smell bad.

Invisalign offers a cleaning system that includes crystals that kill bacterial and dissolve plaque. Also, you can keep your trays clean by:

• Rinsing trays with cool water each time you take them out
• Gently brushing trays with a soft toothbrush each time you brush your teeth
• Soaking trays daily in Invisalign crystals or gentle denture solutions
• Washing occasionally with clear, antibacterial soap to fight bacteria buildup

Never clean aligners with hot water, which can warp the trays.

If you have questions about how to care for your Invisalign trays, call Chelsea Dental Aesthetics at 917-633-7312, or schedule an appointment online.