Cleaning the trays

Hello
I'm just 2 days into Invisalign. Can anyone please tell me how to clean them? Am I able to brush them with a toothbrush and regular toothpaste? I want to avoid buying the $95 cleaning system.

Also, am I able to drink water with them on throughout the day???? Instructions say not to drink or eat anything with them on...but why not water??

Please help!

[Tara19]

Drinking water is fine.. i do it all the time...

I even use listerine to gargle while wearing them.

Good Luck.

My orthodontist said that I could trink iced tea (unsweetened) only if I drank it thru a straw and all the water that I wanted. In fact he encouraged me to carry a water bottle around with me because he said my mouth would be really dry. He yelled at me about smoking. I have had 2 cigarettes today without the braces in. Who knows - maybe I will lose weight and quit smoking at the same time.

[Tara19]

Good advice.

I tried the water only route the first couple of weeks. This was quite hard because I am addicted to caffeine. Now, I just drink anything I want, and brush my teethand trays every chance I get. Usually about every hour or so. I can get my trays in and out quickly, plus I have a private bathroom at work, so it's easy for me. I do use a flouride mouthwash every morning and evening also to combat cavities.

I soak my trays in Polident cleanser every night during dinner, and that gets them nice and clean.

[angelbabiez9700]

I rinse mine out several times a day, but I do brush them with my toothbrush after I brush my teeth. I brush the inside and out. You can drink water, just not suppose to eat or drink beverages with them on. Im not sure about the smoking, it seems if you smoked with them in, the smoke would get on the trays, then you would have to clean them more often, but the smoke wouldnt get on your teeth would it? I also used some peroxide and water to clean them out before bed. Im not for sure that it matters how you clean them as long as you get them clean without damaging them, toothpaste, toothbrush, polishers, water, ect. The tooth brush hasnt damaged mine at all.

[byryr]

My ortho told me to brush them with my toothbrush and toopaste every time I brushed my teeth, and did not even mention a $95 cleaning system. She said not to use denture cleaners on them.

[Punkin]

Originally Posted by byryr

My ortho told me to brush them with my toothbrush and toopaste every time I brushed my teeth, and did not even mention a $95 cleaning system. She said not to use denture cleaners on them.

As did mine. She also recommended gel toothpaste for them, as it's not quite as harsh as some others, but said it wasn't that big of a deal if you couldn't find it.

[ajvasey]

"Retainer Brite" is an excellent product for cleaning invisalign aligners.
it cost about $40 for a year supply. (one per day)

its well worth the money.
on my first set, I brushed my aligners every single time I took them out and even used toothpaste sometimes. But even with all my efforts, towards the end of the 2 week cycle, the aligners started to smell and taste a little moldy.

thats when I decided to get "Retainer Brite". I use it in the morning to clean the aligners and when you rinse them off after using it, I brush them as well. This cleans the aligners good enough, that the rest of the day I only just rinse them off and don't brush them. In doing so, they stay plague free, scent free, and have a minty fresh taste in the morning. its well worth the expense.

Retainer Cleaner: Retainer Brite from Smileshop.com

[angelbabiez9700]

I have had the same tray in now for over two weeks, my Dr. wants me to switch them every 3 weeks. Mine dont smell or taste moldy, but I did notice that it is very easy to think they are clean when they actually arent. I brushed out my tray for a good two minutes thinking they were really clean and nice, I looked at them really closely noticing the lines that were in them and as I was looking very closely I could see some whitish colored dots from food I had eaten, and it wasnt exactly easy to clean off and really hard to see. I used my toothbrush, a Q tip, rag, and even a tooth pick to try and get it off because it stuck in between the back teeth and some was stuck where the buttons go, other parts where deep down in the tray where the end of your teeth sit. Sometimes it seemed almost impossible to clean these areas in the tray. I had to look really good at them in the light to see this, so now I always inspect and check and then inspect again to make sure its clean.

[angelbabiez9700]

I have had the same tray in now for over two weeks, my Dr. wants me to switch them every 3 weeks. Mine dont smell or taste moldy, but I did notice that it is very easy to think they are clean when they actually arent. I brushed out my tray for a good two minutes thinking they were really clean and nice, I looked at them really closely noticing the lines that were in them and as I was looking very closely I could see some whitish colored dots from food I had eaten, and it wasnt exactly easy to clean off and really hard to see. I used my toothbrush, a Q tip, rag, and even a tooth pick to try and get it off because it stuck in between the back teeth and some was stuck where the buttons go, other parts where deep down in the tray where the end of your teeth sit. Sometimes it seemed almost impossible to clean these areas in the tray. I had to look really good at them in the light to see this, so now I always inspect and check and then inspect again to make sure its clean.

[Sunny]

Angel your orthodontist should have given you clear instructions re cleaning your trays. If this hasn't happened, please ask for them.

Here's a site that may help ... How to Clean Invisalign Braces - Associated Content

Good luck!

[Zealie]

I soak my trays in Efferdent once a day and it works great! I had to wear my first set for 3 weeks, I had no issues with clouding after 3 weeks and they still smelled fresh! $5 for 90 tablets - cheap!!