Cleaning Your Invisalign Trays

[JeffR]

Anybody have any advice on keeping the trays clean and not "gunky"?

I'm just giving them a good brushing 2x a day. Anybody offer any other tips?

[Tara19]

Retainer brite seems to work OK.... Brushing the retainers alone is hard to combat my hot breath and plaque build up during the night.

[justwork]

I was told not to use tooth paste on the trays, he said it would make them smell worse. Tooth paste etches the tray, which is a great place for bacteria to grow - then smell. On my first tray after about 10 days I noticed that the tray had a slight odor, so I used tooth paste... This got ride of the odor initially but then it came back X10. I was lucky because by then it was time for tray 2. Now I just brush them with a soft tooth brush and water, I also floss and brush after every meal or snack. I notice that the trays have virtually no odor at all and I'm not worried about how they, or my breath, smell.

JW

[Coop22]

My ortho said to soak them in denture cleaner which seems to work GREAT! They even gave me some denture cleaning samples to get me started.

[Zoso]

I was told not to use tooth paste on the trays, he said it would make them smell worse. Tooth paste etches the tray, which is a great place for bacteria to grow - then smell. On my first tray after about 10 days I noticed that the tray had a slight odor, so I used tooth paste... This got ride of the odor initially but then it came back X10. I was lucky because by then it was time for tray 2. Now I just brush them with a soft tooth brush and water, I also floss and brush after every meal or snack. I notice that the trays have virtually no odor at all and I'm not worried about how they, or my breath, smell.

Many toothpastes can be quite abraisive. Gels, on the other hand, tend not to be. So if a soft brush alone is OK, I would hazard a guess that a soft bristle brush and a gel type toothpaste should likewise not cause trouble. But if what you're doing is doing the job for you, I'm not at all suggesting you change.

[mikeg]

Is denture cleaner ok for "hawley retainers". I assume it is just like retainer brite?

[Stephanie]

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!

[Zoso]

Stephanie: is your retainer a slipcover type (aka Essix) or is it a plate and wire?

[Stephanie]

i have the pink plate and wire... i think hawley

[Zoso]

Be careful using denture cleaner or retainer brite with that - I'll caveat that comment though. The problem can creep in if there are extra pieces of wire soldered onto the main wire - these types of cleaner can cause the solder points to corrode and these small extra wires will then fall off. I use retainer brite rarely, and only extremely briefly with my Hawley for this reason. Of course, if your Hawley has no soldered joints, then it should be fine.

[myhollywoodsmile]

For my Invisalign trays I have a pretty simple routine. The second I take them out of my mouth I rinse them under running water. I floss and brush after eating and then using my toothbrush but no paste give them a quick gentle brush. I examine them every time to make sure there is no white film, and if there is I get rid of it by brushing.

Also every night whilst I give my teeth a final clean before bed I soak them in a denture bath ( a kind of plastic tub) with a steradent tablet. Now, a word of caution here. My welcome to Invisalign booklet advises against this, but my aligners still look sparkly clear at the end of the two weeks, and I like the extra sterilisation that this gives.

My orthodontist actually recommends soaking them in one part bleach to 10 parts water, but frankly the smell alone of this would put me off.

Anyway, I have found this pretty effective.

[NJInvisalign]

During the first week of my treatment, I tried brushing with toothpaste, and like others on the forum, I found this made my trays smell horrible after a few days. At the next visit, my dentist gave me a samples of Retainer brite and it's really the best product out there! I went to this website Retainer Brite 1 Year Supply and bought a year's supply of Retainer Brite. It cost me about $50 (US) with shipping (pricey but then I thought about the thousands I'm paying for the Invisalign). The directions say to use one tablet daily but I've found I only really need to use half a tablet first thing in the morning and my trays stay fresh all day long!

[luvmekids]

My ortho told me to soak them in a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water once a day.

[Zoso]

That should take care of any hard water residues, I think. Might make some inroads into tartar too, at a guess. Not sure how effective it is vs. bacteria.

[myhollywoodsmile]

I have a page on how I keep my trays clean at my blogMy Hollywood Smile: Cleaning my Invisalign Aligners I'm not sure that I use an Invisalign approved method though!

[Nikki]

Do not brush your trays. You will scratch them and bacteria will collect in the scratches and make you have bad breath. All you have to do is soak them in denture cleanser when you wake up in the morning. When I take them out to eat I will either soak them again in denture cleanser or pour some mouthwash into a mixture of water. Works great, no problems.

[myhollywoodsmile]

Did your ortho tell you not to brush your trays Nikki? I just ask because mine told me to brush them with a soft brush, and I have to say that I do it every time I brush my teeth. I haven't noticed any visible scratching and I don't think they smell. I hope not!! Otherwise I find that the crevices of the aligners get little white bits that don't come out adequately with soaking alone.

My ortho did say not to use toothpaste on the trays though. What did other people's ortho's suggest?

[grbaseball]

I found a great article about keeping your trays clean
How to clean Invisalign braces

________________________________________________
My Invisalign Experience

[SkyIsTheLimit]

How do you have time to soak them if you have to have your aligners in for 22 hours a day?

[luvmekids]

Skyisthelimit, when I first get up in the morning I put them into a container of vinegar and water and then I go and have breakfast have a shower, get dressed and then do my teeth. So that gives them a good hour cleaning in the morning and then I only have them out for about half an hour at lunch and then maybe out for another hour or so at dinner. So mine are in for average of 21 hours a day. I believe my ortho said to aim for at least 20 hours but the longer the better.

[Coop22]

Aligners are safe to brush as long as you use a soft bristle brush. Of course you should only be using a soft brush on your teeth as well.

[Janesays]

I've tryed the over the counter denture cleaner, but also bought the Retainer brite and found it works a little bit better.

[Zoso]

How do you have time to soak them if you have to have your aligners in for 22 hours a day?

Soak them whilst you eat dinner, maybe? Not possible if you happen to be eating out that day, but for days you are eating at home that should be viable.

[Weeeyin]

I can vouch it is possible to stain the trays....Trays number 5 came with me to the pub on more than one occasion and as it was a long night on the pop I couldn't really leave the trays out all night, now I know you're only supposed to drink water and maybe at the pub clear or white drinks......but well, I couldnt resist one little irn bru (well might have been 2 or 3 along with a glass of water for the occasional slosh about) ......BIG mistake, it wasnt till I got trays 6 yesterday and stuck 5's into my little box with the other old ones that i noticed the mega change in colour, OOPS!!!! They were seriously orange tinged. I dont think anything gets Bru off......it certainly stains white clothes and even bleach doesnt shift it, maybe I'd better stick to lemonade!

[geogchick]

The thing I think though is did you enjoy your time in the pub and you obviously didn't notice the staining too much!

My ortho told me I could take them out for periods of 6 hours say but I should add it on to the time at the end

[Simon D]

My ortho recommended using toothpaste/toothbrush. I always soak them in clean water while I'm eating, and a good scrub with toothpaste removes any of the gunky buildup.

So far, so good and as I'm now at the end of the 2 week period with my first set of trays this seems to work ok for me.

[kezzakattami]

I used toothpaste with my first trays and I have to say that when I changed to my next ones, the first ones smelt real bad!! So with my 2nd trays, I just simply used water and a soft toothbrush and they were in much better condition at the end of the two weeks ...no awful smell and no bad breath (from what I can tell!!)

[kezzakattami]

Forgot to mention, when Im finished with the tray after the 2 weeks, I give them a good soak in Sterdent (UK's version of Efferdent) for half an hour and that gives them a freshen-up before I put them back into their little bag. My 1st trays werent having any of the Steradent though lol, they were beyond repair stench-wise!!!!

[myhollywoodsmile]

I agree about the steradent before putting old trays into storage. I didn't do this at first adn went I went back and looked at them they were, to be honest, foul. So now I sterilise before storing as well as every night.

One thing I have noticed is that if you don't rinse the trays properly after soaking in Steradent it can give you a sore throat.

I soak them and then give another little brush with my toothbrush.

[Blitz]

I brush mine with water but sometimes it still smells. Should I try these products you are recommending? And I do get plaque in them.

[standupcomic]

Hey, new to the forum. Hi all!

I soak my trays in Polident 5 minute once or twice a day to keep them non-gunky. So, you don't need ages to soak them with a 5-minute product.

Lori

Tray 6 tomorrow of 20/14!

[VeggieQueen]

I went to the web site recommended by grbaseball
http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...ces.html?cat=5 and found there a recomendation for a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. I think I will avoid all the chemicals in polident and retainer brite and the like and opt for either the hydogen peroxide solution or the 50/50 white vinegar and water proposed by luvemekids on this fourm. Both of these are products I use at home for cleaning, insead of harsher chemicals. I will let you know if either of these work for me.

VeggieQueen

[Sunny]

Wow ... they're all hefty chemicals VeggieQueen.

I use hydrogen peroxide as a mouth rinse, but only a couple of times a week, as it packs a belt. When my hubby was dying from cancer and was expected to have dreadful mouth sores, I was able to help him prevent this discomfort, by mixing peroxide, baking soda and salt water rinses. They do have a use ... but then he didn't have to worry about any long time affects of the chemicals he was using, as he only had weeks to live ... sad but true.

[VeggieQueen]

This seems to work really well for me. I mix a solutionof 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water and put it into a small jar. Every time I eat I take them out and pop them into this jar. They soak for 20 to 30 minutes and then I bush them with water to rinse them and pop them back in. I tried vinegar and water, but it did not seem to dissolve the plaque buildup on the trays, whereas the hydrogen peroxide mixture does. When I go out to eat, I take a small bottle of the mixture with me and do the same thing, putting it in my purse if it is a nice restaurant. Otherwise if I am with friends at a casual eatery, well... it is better than dentures on the table!

VeggieQueen

[katiekatie23]

awww sorry to hear about your husband sunny ,

i also brush my aligners with toothpaste(sensodyne pro-namel) and a soft brush then once a week(well this is the 1st time today as i have only had them for a week) i soaked them in retainer brite(a sample from my ortho- mega expensive!) and they have come up a treat they look like they did when i had them on day 1!!! its funny how all our orthos have told us different things lol!!!!!!!!

[Lucy1986]

I've been using retainer brite and toothbrush/toothpaste to keep mine clean. Seems to work so far, but still have to give them a really long soak with retainer brite at the end of 2 weeks. I hope when I get my retainer its not going to get as gunky as the aligners do, cos I won't be able to change them every couple of weeks!

[chaudi]

The best way is with liquid dish detergent!

[Sunny]

That's one we never recommend ... mainly due to the risk of people not getting rid of the soap substitutes properly.

[chaudi]

I thinking rinsing the trays gets rid of any soap. Assuming some minute amount was hidden there, what problem would "soap substitutes" cause?

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

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.

To get that extra bit cleaner, Retainer-Brite seems to be a great product and our patients love it. However, from first hand experience, the best way to clean them seems to be with an ultrasonic cleaner. Leaving the aligners in a water bath with or without Retainer-Brite, and ultrasonic vibrations for about 10 minutes leaves the aligners squeaky clean and fresh, as if you were changing to a new aligner.

Our patients really appreciate this, especially if wearing the aligners longer than 2 weeks as we are waiting for refinement or mid-course correction. Few, other than the very top Invisalign offices will keep these in stock to give to patients, due to the volume/cost of ordering them.

Retainer Brite Cleaning Tablets 1 year + Sonic

This link will direct you to another site where you can get a 1 year supply of Retainer-Brite and a cleaner for $40USD.

Hope this helps!

[Sunny]

Chaudi it would depend on what the soap substitutes are. Companies use a wide variety of chemicals and some can have an oil base, that's not easy to rinse away. Real soap doesn't foam ... but years of using the products that are now marketed commercially has left many people believing they won't work unless they do ... so chemicals and other rubbish is added so they will.

[chaudi]

Invisalgner trays are made from plastic. You can wash your invisaligners quickly and easily with regular house hold liquid dish detergent. The same way you wash your dishes, you can rinse your invisaligner in warm water. Just like washing a plastic cup or plate, there is nothing harmful left over. If your really worried about it, you can scrub a bit with some toothpaste.
"Ultrasonic vibrations for about 10 minutes leaves the aligners squeaky clean and fresh" this is completely unnecessary. Sounds like slick marketing.
From wiki: "A soap substitute refers to detergents or cleansing creams, other than soap, for cleaning the skin, especially removing greasy films or glandular exudates. Soap substitutes can be made from a variety of sources including plants with high saponin levels."
" Medical uses:here is tremendous, commercially driven promotion of saponins as dietary supplements and nutriceuticals."
So no reason to fear dish detergent, it is perfectly safe and perfectly natural product and of course *cheap* (oooch) for cleaning your invisagliners. It is used by million of people every day.
What i do wonder is how safe these snake oil cleaning kits
are?

[IHIC]

Toothpaste has abrasives in them that, as the board has realized, will allow bacteria to pool into the microgrooves created.

I am glad I saw this, because I see alot of people saying to use toothpaste to clean aligners on other boards.

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

"Ultrasonic vibrations for about 10 minutes leaves the aligners squeaky clean and fresh" this is completely unnecessary. Sounds like slick marketing.

I don't have any experience cleaning aligners with dish soap, but I know that there is some mechanical cleansing that is necessary when doing dishes. If you take a look at the aligners, the surfaces are not entirely smooth. My feeling is that it would take a very long time and a lot of careful scrubbing with a toothbrush in order to get the aligners fully clean.

Feedback from our patients and my own anecdotal experience is that the ultrasonic cleaner is the most convenient way of getting aligners feeling like new.

While there are some things that many Invisalign users find better than others, there is no right way to clean aligners. Whatever makes you feel like your aligners are clean is fine... even if it is dish soap .

[anastasia's_new_smile]

Hi everyone! Just thought I'd share what worked best for me. I would soak my aligners in hydrogen peroxide with a bit of baking soda. The fizzy action would remove buildup and the peroxide would kill germs. Also, the mix would remove any stains on the aligners and bring them back to their perfect state of transparency. Hope this helps!

[jgraham81]

I was using sonicbrite cleaning system. However, a few weeks my sonicbrite mechanism died, so I just put the cleaning powder in a denture case with warm water now and shake my retainers in it for a few minutes and rinse them off. It seems to work even better than when they were in the sonic thing for 15 minutes.

[grbaseball]

I also have used peroxide to clean my trays. I think it works pretty good considering the hydrogen peroxide is like $1.29 a bottle. The thing I don't like is that I usually put the peroxide in a cup and put the trays in a cup but the peroxide will evaporate over time so you have to fill it back up every once in a while. I think I am going to try this denture cleaning system though. It sounds very effective and reasonably priced. Thanks for the tips everyone!

I am in my 6th month of Invisalign and am happy I did it! My teeth already look so much better. I hate looking at old pictures of myself now.. which is kind of sad.

Blog => My Invisalign Blog

[newtoinvisalign123]

FYI. hydrogen peroxide has a half life of 8 HOURS to 20 DAYS. The general rule of thumb is to just use new hydrogen peroxide everytime you soak since they're so cheap anyway. After 8 hours in the average water, the h202 would prob change into something else anyway.
Hydrogen Peroxide MSDS

[Sunny]

We don't recommend using hydrogen peroxide on invisalign aligners, as there are more suitable ways of cleaning the aligners without exposing yourself to chemicals.

Many people find water does as good a job as anything. Other's find putting a few drops of a quality mouthrinse in water while they do their night and morning brush, helps keep their aligners feeling fresh. Other's use products similar to those recommended for dentures.

HP is cheap ... and used every now and then, it's good for people who have a build up due to there body making too much plaque, but for most water does the best job of all.

[ginakins]

I haven't read any posts regarding ultraviolet dental cleaners. Has anyone any experience with them? I'm investigating one that cleans and sanitizes with just water.