Cleaning Your Invisalign Trays

[lizzieb]

My ortho just told me to brush them to keep them clean, but after just a few days with my first tray and I do notice a slight odor. Think I'll try some of the "home remedies" to start with (baking soda etc) and if that doesn't work I'll try the retainer brite mentioned. Thanks for all the great suggestions.

[JSL]

I use retainer brite although I'm not totally impressed. I tend to get a lot of plaque build up on my retainers when sleeping and need something better.. the denture cleaner is worth a try, but I don't want to ruin the retainer either. Its mucho expensive!

I use retainer brite as well.

I think its primarily designed to get rid of odors. If you use it in the AM and use a toothbrush on it, it seems to stay pretty clean.

[rupintart]

I got this because I'm strapped for time in the mornings:



It completely cleans them. You can see the little stuff floating at the end of the 3 minutes. You can pretty much wipe off whatever doesn't come off, but I just take my Sonicare and brush it out really quick and they're fresh and clean feeling. The sonicare helps alot because I don't need to apply any force for it to break whatevers left on them up and off. So I'm not deathly scared of scratching the trays.

Been using it every morning since I got my 1st trays a week ago and no odors, hazing or anything. Feel super smooth and FRESH like brand new. Definitely recommended!

[dvanrip]

My dentist told me that Invisalign sells their own cleaner but it's a 'waste of money.' He told me to use Listerine PreBrush whitening (or a generic - he actually mentioned Target). When i pull the trays out to brush my teeth, they get soaked in that solution. He even told me I could use reuse the Listerine for a few days (but to cover it during the day as it has hydrogen peroxide in it so would dissolve in light). Has been working for me fine with no smells.

[Marika]

Listerine WHitening = magical...

i was confused at the beginning (1,5 year ago) when i saw my trays after first 10 days... i soon realised any liquid soap would not do the job... So reading a post online somewhere, i tried Listerine "wintening" ...and Voila!!! had clear trays during my whole treatment...

notes:
-Listerine "wintening" (has to be the whitening one)...
-I let my trays dip while i'm eating
-i brush them with my electric bruch every morning

best wishes & good luck :wave::wave:

[ginakins]

I have one of those Vio-light sonic UV cleaners and I love it. At least I know the germs are gone. I do however have to use a childs toothbrush to brush the lipstick off. That's the only thing I don't like about the aligners....lipstick seems to gravitate to them and its not easily removed without rubbing.:braces:

[skyliner77]

Hi all, First post!

I clean mine with regular mouthwash. I dip my toothbrush in mouthwash and lightly scrub the trays inside and out, then do the same with running water and rinse. No odor.

[selfmadetool]

I'm another Invisalign owner with the Violight Dental Cleaner and Sanitizer. There have been debates about whether the Violight line of products actually clean as well as it advertises, but there's no longer the cloudy, hard to remove grime or occasional odor since I started using the product.

The downside is you have to position the Invisalign trays just right in order to make them fit into the small cleaner tray. I pop my aligners into the cleaner as I begin a meal and they are clean and sparkling new when I have finished eating and brushing. It's like a dishwaser for Invisalign trays.

[SheilaB104]

My ortho said to use an antibacterial soap and a soft toothbrush. When I take them out for eating, drinking, etc., I soak them in a cup of lukewarm water with some Palmolive antibacterial dish detergent, and then use the toothbrush lightly on them and rinse in cool water before I put them back in. They feel clean and fresh and I haven't noticed any bad odors like some others have mentioned.

[angel9165]

Listerine WHitening = magical...

i was confused at the beginning (1,5 year ago) when i saw my trays after first 10 days... i soon realised any liquid soap would not do the job... So reading a post online somewhere, i tried Listerine "wintening" ...and Voila!!! had clear trays during my whole treatment...

notes:
-Listerine "wintening" (has to be the whitening one)...
-I let my trays dip while i'm eating
-i brush them with my electric bruch every morning

best wishes & good luck :wave::wave:

Works like a charm!! :clapping:

[I Invisalign]

I clean the trays twice a day by soaking them in denture cleaner. The generic Wal-Mart brand is not expensive and you get more tablets for your money.

After they have soaked (while I am eating) and after I do my teeth cleaning routine (floss/Water-Pik/brush), I rinse them off with warm water, take my Sonic Care toothbrush (dipped in a small amount of peroxide and mouthwash) and brush them on both sides. Then rinse them off again and put them on.

I have been doing this for almost 9 months now and the trays stay very clean.

[Invizzle Rizzle]

I've taken some advice such as using antibacterial soap to brush the aligners. However, doing that still left an odor so I tried another route. I am using dawn dish soap and my trays are clean....they are odorless.....and all I need is 1/10 of a drop to brush both trays. I'm considering buying a 99cent bottle tomorrow to have stashed in the bathroom so I don't have the family size kitchen one in there instead.. :P

[Invizzle Rizzle]

I rinse them off with warm water, take my Sonic Care toothbrush (dipped in a small amount of peroxide and mouthwash) and brush them on both sides. Then rinse them off again and put them on.

I have been doing this for almost 9 months now and the trays stay very clean.

You just put peroxide and mouthwash on your toothbrush, no toothpaste? I'm just wondering because I eat about 5-6 times a day, I don't want to over brush my teeth.

[I Invisalign]

You just put peroxide and mouthwash on your toothbrush, no toothpaste? I'm just wondering because I eat about 5-6 times a day, I don't want to over brush my teeth.

I pour a tiny amount or peroxide and mouthwash in a plastic cup then mix it with the electric toothbrush. Then I dip the bristles in the mixture and scrub the trays inside and out. Rinse them in warm water and put them in. This is after they have soaked in the denture cleaner for about a half hour and I have done my teeth cleaning routine (see previous post).

I don't think you can over brush your teeth. As long as you are using a soft brush and not being rough on your gums you should be fine.

[pradaprincess]

I use the Invisalign® Cleaning System

It keeps your aligners odor-free, hygienic and clear with the Invisalign Aligner Cleaning System. Special Cleaning Crystals remove plaque from your Invisalign aligners within about 15 minutes.

[t2dancer]

I soak mine in listerine whitening mouthwash with a little water in the morning, then a quick brush with a soft infant toothbrush with water. When I take them out throughout the day I always rinse them with water. I brush and floss after every meal, rinse my trays with water again before I pop them back in. It keeps them clean through the day. And at night I let them soak in polident denture cleaner for 5 minutes and another quick brush with the baby toothbrush(no toothpaste, just water) :) has worked like a charm! I'm almost a week into my first trays and haven't had a problem with bad breath/cloudiness/or gunkiness. It's wonderful!

[ChicagoB]

I soak mine in polident as I brush my teeth. After 5 minutes or so, I brush them with the soaking solution and rinse them in water. I did this twice a day - in the AM and after dinner.
I'm on my second set of aligners and happy the report that there was no 'bad smell' as some people have mentioned. Now I need to get an ample supply of polident - it's kinda embarassing going to the store to buy these though. :)

[EmeraldCastrol]

I just brush my trays with my toothbrush and water. As for soaking, my othodontist said that although Invisalign has its own soaking product, its a rip off and if I use Baking Soda, that should work just as well. That said, I find I rarely ever need to soak my trays as brushing it with water seems to be enough and I've never experienced the bad odour problem (at least, nobody has mentioned it to me so I assume I haven't).

[Stewart]

I simply soak them in denture cleaner for 15 mins, then rinse and brush them off with cold water using a cheap toothbrush. I do this at the start of every day.

[Powerdent Pulse]

New product for all dental appliances:

The first Power Denture Cleaning Brush | Dental Appliance Hygiene - PowerDent Pulse™ by Harrison Hygiene


YouTube - PowerDent Pulse Dr John Miller

[dwfoster]

two questions...

1) does anyone know if it is recommended to "swish" periodically with mouthwash (e.g., listerine) while wearing retainers to combat bad breath? not to take the place of regular brushing, but just as a 'pick me up'? or would it be better to remove the retainers to use mouthwash?

2) is it ok to use 'whitening' products like mouthwashes/toothpastes on the teeth while attachments are in place? my fear is that while teeth may experience whitening, the part that is covered by the attachments may not, therefore when the attachments are removed there will be an unsightly difference in color on the tooth surface... eek.

thanks y'all! :)

[nightship538]

Not sure if someone has mentioned this before, but yesterday I saw my trays were getting gunky and white. I decided to try putting them in my ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, which uses just water. I set the timer for 450 seconds (about 7.5 minutes) while I was having a meal, and when I removed them the trays were just like brand new! I found my cleaner in a thrift shop for under $10, but an online search shows them available in different price ranges.

[aidlilmom]

I was just brushing mine with my toothbrush and paste but it was making them look dingy. I bought some denture tablets and they are working great. My dentist told me not to do this because it can altering the shape of them. The directions for the tablets say to use very warm water but I've been using cool water and they still come out clean...and then I don't have to worry about the heat warping them.

[Boira]

Twice a day (mornings-nights) I soak mine in Steradent while I have breakfast/dinner. Then I brush them with a soft brush and rinse them in water. During lunch, I soak them in dishwasher and brush them again afterwards.

[Music35fly]

I soak my trays every morning with a Retainer Brite tablet and then brush them with water quickly afterwards. I rinse and brush them with water after lunch and dinner. So far they have stayed clean and do not smell.

[MR. Vanity]

Wow this is quite interesting!
My Invisalign provider didn't mention anything about not cleaning them with toothpaste!
I've been cleaning my trays with retainerbrite, and occasionally scrubbing them with a toothbrush and toothpaste (not gonna use toothpaste now!) to remove food particles on the tray!

[cgf]

I use baking soda and water to clean my aligners. I shake them around in a small plastic container with a lid, and then brush them gently under running water to be sure that all the baking soda is off and that there is no detritus in the crevices. Seems to work fine. They stay nice and clear.

[ChicagoB]

8 months later and can't be happier with polident. I get a box of 108 tablets from Walmart for around $5.

[LeslieKnope]

Hi all! Sorry if this has already been asked/answered elsewhere. I'm going on an overseas trip with a 24+ hour flight, and I'm looking into these towelettes for the flight. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A2XMTP3PCC69MJ

Any luck with these?

Thanks!

[aidlilmom]

Hi all! Sorry if this has already been asked/answered elsewhere. I'm going on an overseas trip with a 24+ hour flight, and I'm looking into these towelettes for the flight. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A2XMTP3PCC69MJ

Any luck with these?

Thanks!

I don't know that's kinda pricey! I say just bring a travel size mouthwash and soak them between meals.

[luckybamboo]

Hm, I've always brushed mine with gel toothpaste and didn't notice any ill effects, but maybe I should rethink it? Yikes!

Sometimes I soak them in a cup of water with baking soda and then rinse that off before I brush. I wonder if that's abrasive, though.

[dmoney79]

i just clean mine with a soft toothbrush and water
and that's it
i'll soak them in effordent when i'm done with them so that they're fresh when i pack them away
but everyday, i just rinse 'em real good with water and use a toothbrush to get get them clear and i haven't had a problem with them being smelly (except for when i wake up in the morning, but that's like normal morning mouth)

[ninjaboy]

I brush out my aligners by squirting biotene with plaque and biofilm removers. And brush it out with my tooth brush. I noticed that the gums still bleed and the aligners don't let the blood get washed away like braces would. So I am rinsing often.

[MzSJP]

I bought the Polident 3-minute cleaner before I got my 1st set of trays, but I have yet to use it. I've only had the trays for a couple of days and I've been giving them a good rinse with warm water every time I take them out (as my dentist suggested).

In the morning, while I'm brushing my teeth, I pour a little Listerine in the trays and let them sit for a few minutes; give them a good rinse, and pop them back in. It's working like a charm so far. I'm not seeing any build up or noticing any smell.

Update: I've made it to the end of my 2-week wear with the trays still squeaky clean, using the above regiment. I did soak them in the polident about 2 times per week, just because. But it wasn't really needed.

[bunnyteeth]

I find using 1 part white vinegar and 1 part of tap water works well for me. And I just use a soft brush to give it a little brush each time before I put them back on.

[EverythingsRosie]

My ortho said just brush them with dishwashing liquid. But i didn't find that was cleaning them very well. Im using denture cleaner every morning. It works great! Try it!
17u 17L ( im on number 17 and im sooo excited to b almost finished!!!!)

[mogriff]

I soak mine in retainer brite or Crest Whitening mouthwash and brush them with toothpaste. My Ortho said I could use Polident, so I plan to when I run out of Retainer Brite.

[Dancergirl]

Just soak them in a mixture of Hydrogen Peroxide & Alcohol while you are eating. Then brush them with a small brush, inside & out & in the crevices. They will stay very clean this way. Do not use toothpaste as it is too abrasive.

[Dancergirl]

Are you eating with your trays in your mouth? I was told to always take them out to eat anything.

[mom23boyz]

Just started wearing invisalign last week - and after making it through the first few days (after wanting to quit due to the discomfort), I'm now just figuring how to manage the no drinking/eating thing.

I have been just cleaning with water and soft toothbrush (a child one) - I'm really nervous about scratching them and then having them smell. However, I'm having trouble getting all the white film off (especially in the morning). I've tried a "dye/fragrance free" handsoap that seems to help, but still having some issues - I was all set to use Polident, but realized that the Invisalign instructions specifically say not to use denture cleaners - is that because they want you to buy their stuff? Has anyone used Polident and had an issue? I'm thinking that is probably the best way to get them really clean.

[LeslieKnope]

My ortho suggested using a solution of 1/2 white vinegar 1/2 water. I do that sometimes at the end of the 2 weeks if the white film, which usually comes off easily with just a toothbrush and water, is getting stubborn. I just soak them for 30 minutes or so while eating dinner, and it works really well. I also soak the aligners at the end of the 2 weeks so they're clean when I have to put them back in the pouch.

[lanabyte]

My orthodontist told me it is ok to use denture cleaner. He said Invisalign just wants you to buy their stuff. I've used it 1-2 times a week for my entire treatment (on tray 20 now) and have never had a problem with it.

[mogriff]

I use Polident 3 minute once a day...no issues and it works better than Retainer brite in my opinion. My trays don't have a film or and odor. My ortho told me it was ok for use on aligners.

[MzSJP]

I've recently began running a cotton swab through the aligners while the Listerine is sitting in them, then rinsing with warm water. Just another way to keep them squeeky clean and fresh!! :-D

[mom23boyz]

The cotton swab does work at getting all the white gunk out . . .wasn't sure we could soak them in Listerine - is there a reason why people mention alcohol-free mouthwash (other than not wanting alcohol in their moutwash)? I have used mouthwash and liked the results - just wanted to be sure I wasn't damaging them with the alcohold based mouthwash.

[MzSJP]

The cotton swab does work at getting all the white gunk out . . .wasn't sure we could soak them in Listerine - is there a reason why people mention alcohol-free mouthwash (other than not wanting alcohol in their moutwash)? I have used mouthwash and liked the results - just wanted to be sure I wasn't damaging them with the alcohold based mouthwash.

I'm on my last day of tray #6 and I've been pouring Listerine inside of my trays everyday, since day 1, with no problem. I don't know about completely submerging the trays in 100% Listerine. This may be where some people mix Listerine with water.

[liana]

i'm just starting tray 2 and i clean my aligners twice a day with Polident. they are still as clear as the first day, even with my coffee drinking habit !! (i drink unsweetened coffee with aligners in all the time). Polident is awesome !

[BTOrthodontics]

Other than brushing them, you can try soaking your aligners in mouth wash. It can also act as an odor killer for your Invisalign Braces as well.

[Carsc1]

Well, after reading this thread, I am more confused than ever. So many contradictions! Paste/no paste/gel only, soap/no soap,peroxide/vinegar/mouthwash, denture tablets etc etc....How about I soak them in vodka and call it a day! LOL (kidding!)

[33333]

We recommend water with a tooth brush for mechanical cleaning of the aligners. Toothpaste has abrasives in them that, as the board has realized, will allow bacteria to pool into the microgrooves created.

OMG! I've been brushing my trays with toothpaste as instructed by invisalign! I wonder why they didn't think of the microgrooves?

I read that whitening toothpaste has abrasive, not sure if non whitening toothpaste is okay to use.