The Right Way to Use Your Invisalign Cleaning Crystals

Since you’ll be wearing your Invisalign aligners for around 20 to 22 hours every day, it’s important to make sure that they stay clean; you don’t want bacteria building up and causing problems for your teeth. Your dentist is likely to recommend Invisalign cleaning crystals, but of course, you need to be sure that you’re using them correctly to get the desired results. Here are the basics of the Invisalign cleaning process.

The Steps for Using Invisalign Cleaning Crystals

Each time you use your cleaning crystals, you need to closely follow these steps:

• Take your aligners out of your mouth and rinse them off.
• Fill a glass (or another type of container) with warm water.
• Open a packet of Invisalign cleaning crystals and pour the contents into the water. Stir it until it has finished dissolving.
• Place the aligners in the water. They should be completely submerged.
• Wait for about 15 to 30 minutes.
• Take the aligners out of the water and rinse them off again. Be as thorough as possible; there shouldn’t be any cleaning solution left when the time comes to put them back in your mouth.

How Often Do You Need to Use Invisalign Cleaning Crystals?

The cleaning crystals won’t do you much good if you’re not using them often enough. Make it your goal to give your aligners a thorough cleaning at least once every day. (For the record, you can use the cleaning crystals as often as twice a day.)

What are Some Other Ways You Can Keep Your Aligners Clean?

There are other steps that you should follow if you want to maintain clean Invisalign aligners:

• Rinse Your Aligners Whenever You Remove Them: When you take your aligners out of your mouth, rinse them off to remove any leftover saliva or bits of food.
• Never Eat or Drink with Your Aligners: The only thing you should be consuming while your aligners are still in your mouth is water. Otherwise, you should remove them before eating or drinking so that they don’t become stained.
• Brush Your Aligners When You Brush Your Teeth: Get a separate toothbrush for your aligners so that you can brush them regularly. Make sure that the bristles are as soft as possible.
• Avoid Exposing Your Aligners to Hot Water: Remember that whenever you rinse off or soak your aligners, the water should be warm but not hot. Higher temperatures could cause the plastic to warp.

Remember that you will always have your trusted dental team to turn to throughout the Invisalign process. Give your dentist a call if you need further help keeping your aligners clean.

About the Author

Dr. John Russo previously served as a general dental officer in the United States Air Force for two years. After that, he began his private practice. He is able to provide Invisalign aligners for patients who are bothered by crooked or crowded teeth. If you are interested in scheduling a consultation with Dr. Russo in Orlando, visit his website or call (407) 470-1224.