How to Clean Your Teeth Aligners With Ease
Table of Contents
- When to Clean Your Aligners
- How to Clean Aligners
- Other Tools
- Solving Aligner Cleaning Problems
- Ways to Protect Your Teeth
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Cleaning Your Aligners
Cleaning your aligners isn't just smart. It's recommended by almost every oral health expert out there.
Your mouth is home to a whopping 700 species of microbes. Some help to improve your health. But others secrete plaque that can harm your teeth and cloud up your aligners.
Cleaning is crucial, but you'll need to follow guidelines carefully. Clean the devices with the wrong tools or in the wrong way, and you could cause more harm than good.
When should you clean teeth aligners?
Your aligners should be cleaned after every episode of eating and drinking. As a result, you’ll wash your trays multiple times per day.
Follow these tips to make cleaning easy:
Remove your trays. Make a habit of removing your trays before putting anything (such as food or a drink) inside your mouth.
Keep the case. Put your trays in your case when not in your mouth (so you don’t throw them away).
Make a kit. Keep the tools you need to clean your trays with you at all times.
How to clean aligners: Dos & don’ts
Understanding how to clean your aligners is almost as important as avoiding common cleaning mistakes.
Here’s what you should do when you’re cleaning aligners:
Stick with approved cleaning agents.
Brush very gently.
Rinse the trays with cool water.
Store your trays properly after cleaning (if you’re not going to wear them).
Here’s what not to do when you’re cleaning aligners:
Use hard-bristled toothbrushes: Firm bristles can cause little scratches over time that trap bacteria within the aligner. Those germs can harm your teeth. Scrubbing with firm tools won’t make your aligners cleaner.
Use toothpaste: Since toothpaste is made to clean the hard, tough, enamel surface of your teeth, most toothpastes are much too abrasive for polymers used in aligners. If you use toothpaste, you can scratch your aligners. Each scratch can become home to bacteria that could harm your enamel.
Use colorful or scented soap: Detergent scents can leave an awful taste in your mouth, and they're not made for digestion. Colorful soaps can stain your aligners too, making them too easy to see.
Denture crystals: These fizzy powders can damage and cloud up your clear trays. They may not fit properly after being cleaned with these tools, and they may be visible.
Mouthwash: Dyes in these liquids can stain your aligners. Never soak your trays in aligners.
Hot water: High temperatures can bend your trays, and that means they won't fit into your mouth and move your teeth effectively.
This comparison chart can help you understand what cleaning agents are good (and which are not):
Good to use | Avoid |
|---|---|
Unscented, undyed soap | Scented, dyed soap |
Cleansers (like BrightByte) from the manufacturer | Toothpaste |
Vinegar/water solutions | Denture crystals |
Let’s dig into all of this information in detail, so you know just what to do.
Clean your aligners in a few easy steps
If you’re wondering how to clean teeth aligners, know there are many products available. All of those solutions come with different instructions, and it’s important to follow them carefully.
If you choose to clean your aligners with clear, unscented, antibacterial soap, here’s what to do:
Mix. Fill a small bowl with warm (not hot!) water, and add a drop of soap. Stir with your finger until the soap has dissolved.
Add. Place your aligners in the solution.
Leave. Keep your aligners in the solution for up to 30 minutes.
Brush. If you think the aligners aren’t quite clean, use a soft-bristle brush to wipe away any remaining residue.
Rinse. Run your trays under cool water until all of the soap and water have been rinsed away.
What other tools can you try?
You don’t need fancy tools to clean your aligners. However, some products can make cleaning your aligners a little easier (and more effective).
These are a few additional cleaning tools to consider:
BrightByte: Our BrightByte™ whitener/aligner cleaner is the best way to keep the aligners clean and fresh on the go. Simply squirt a dime-sized amount in your aligners, top and bottom, each time you replace them.
Vinegar and water: Mix 50% vinegar and 50% water, and allow the aligners to soak in the solution for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then, rinse them off before wearing them again. You may prefer this version if you’re worried about rinsing your trays thoroughly. Vinegar doesn’t always taste good, but it’s not toxic. Ensure that the vinegar you use is clear, as apple cider versions can stain your trays.
Clear, unscented soap. Place warm water in a bowl, and add a drop of clear antibacterial soap. Mix until you can’t see the soap particles. Soak your aligners for up to 30 minutes and rinse thoroughly when you’re done. You may prefer this option if you have plenty of soap around and want a tool that kills bacteria. Ensure that your soap of choice doesn’t have colors or fragrances.
Baking soda. Fill a bowl with warm water and add a tablespoon of baking soda. Soak your aligners for 30 minutes, and rinse carefully before putting the trays back on. You may like this option if you have plenty of baking soda and often use it to clean around your home. Baking soda can be gritty and hard on your teeth, so ensure you rinse thoroughly.
Troubleshooting aligner cleaning problems
Clear aligners are relatively easy to keep clean, but you may encounter a few problems on your path to a brighter smile. These troubleshooting tips may help.
If your aligners are:
Smelly: Use the baking soda technique to soak your trays. Baking soda is well known for its odor-busting powers, and it might be just what you need to remove a nasty scent from your trays.
Cloudy: Try a whitening tool that came with your aligners (like BrightByte). It may help to remove some cloudiness and color from your trays. Remember what caused the problem, and avoid it next time.
Scratched: Contact your dental professional. If your trays are so scuffed that they don’t fit well, your doctor may need to order you a new one.
Warped: Contact your dental professional. Don’t force the trays on your teeth or try to straighten them at home. Ask your provider what to do next.
4 more ways to protect your teeth
Wearing aligners is a proven way to improve your oral health. In fact, researchers found that after wearing aligners for six months, people tended to brush more often, and they had less plaque on their teeth.
Your dentist can help you learn more about how to protect your teeth and keep your smile as stunning as it can possibly be. The following steps will help too:
A proper tooth brushing session should last for two minutes, says the American Dental Association. Every morning and every night, all of your teeth should get a proper brushing with toothpaste.
Take your aligners out, clean them, and place them in their protective case. Then, brush your teeth carefully, as instructed by your dentist.
Dental floss allows you to reach nooks and crannies between your teeth that could capture food and plaque. Flossing is especially critical for people who wear aligners, as the trays reduce your saliva’s ability to move stuck food naturally.
Run your floss around all of your teeth, paying close attention to areas that seem tight or tender. It might be uncomfortable, but with practice, you’ll become a flossing pro.
Mouthwashes can reduce the size of bacterial colonies in your mouth, and that could lead to lower levels of gingivitis and gum disease. After you’ve brushed and flossed, give your mouth a quick rinse as outlined in the product’s instructions.
If possible, look for dental rinses that aren’t brightly colored. Small amounts of rinse left on your teeth could lead to discolored trays. When you’re shopping, look for products that are white or clear.
Your oral health routine will become an important part of your morning and evening routines. Taking out your trays is the only way to access all of your teeth and provide them with the care they need. Ensure you’re protecting your aligners during this process.
When your aligners have been cleaned, place them in their protective case and close it. They’ll be protected from breakage. They’ll also be protected from bacterial damage while they’re safe in their case.
Your dentist can help you learn more about how to protect your teeth and keep your smile as stunning as it can possibly be.
Aligner cleaning FAQs
You should clean your aligners once per day. While this may not seem like enough since your dentist recommends you brush your teeth between two and three times per day, remember that most people wear their aligners for about 22 hours per day. If you opt for overnight wear, or about 10 hours per day, you only need to clean the aligners once — when you take them out.
You should also rinse your aligners in cool water whenever you take them out to eat or drink something. This helps reduce the residue that can build up inside the aligner. It also prevents your aligners from getting stained or cloudy.
No, you should not use toothpaste as an aligner cleaner. Since you use toothpaste on your teeth, this might seem counterintuitive, but toothpaste can warp the aligner.
Many toothpastes contain tiny grit, which helps to scrub stains and plaque off your teeth. But this grit can damage the aligner with microscopic scratches. Scrubbing your aligners with your toothbrush can also damage the plastic, allowing bacteria to collect inside the scratches and increasing the risk of tooth decay.
Even though you will only wear your aligner for about two weeks, preventing it from warping is important. This ensures you get the most benefits possible from each aligner.
Other solutions you should not use to clean your aligners include:
Mouthwash, especially those with alcohol.
Baking soda.
Denture cleaners or retainer cleaners.
Regular soap, especially soaps with perfume or scents.
No, using only plain water to clean your aligners once per day does not clean them thoroughly enough.
At Byte, we recommend using a solution of 50% vinegar and 50% pure water. Leave your clear aligners to soak for 20 to 30 minutes before putting them back in. White vinegar is effective at killing many microbes, so this can keep your aligners clear and bright for the two weeks you need them.
You should also take your aligners out when you eat a meal or drink something like coffee that might stain them. When you do, rinse them off with just water after you take them out, and be sure to brush your teeth before putting the aligners back in.
No, using water that is warmer than room temperature can warp the plastic of the aligner. Only use cool water to clean or rinse your aligners.
Warm or hot water can warp the aligner, even in minor ways that you may not notice but could prevent them from being effective at aligning your teeth. You should also be careful of drinking hot beverages or eating hot foods while you have your aligners in.
Yes, you will receive instructions on how to keep your aligners clean in the package with your clear aligners. You can also get a special cleaning solution from us, to ensure your clear aligners remain clear. This solution can also help brighten your smile!