Keeping Your Invisalign As Clear As Possible

The key reason why people opt for Invisalign over traditional braces is appearance. The clear aligners are not obvious on your teeth. Most people won't realize you're wearing them. However, in order for them to remain invisible on your teeth, you do need to keep the trays clear. This is not hard to do, but there are a few steps you need to take to prevent your clear braces from becoming stained and yellowed.

Never eat with them in your mouth

When you first get clear braces, you may slip up a few times and forget to take them out before you eat. But exposing the aligners to food—especially darker foods—tends to stain them. So, you need to be extra vigilant about removing them. Ask your family members to remind you to remove the aligners before eating. Set a reminder in your phone to go off before meals. You may even want to pack a note in your lunch that says "take out your braces!" The less food the trays are exposed to, the clearer they'll remain.

Always at least rinse your mouth before putting the aligners in

Ideally, you should brush your teeth after eating and before putting the aligners back in place. But if you're not able to brush your teeth after a meal or a drink, at least rinse your mouth out well with water. This removes any food particles or colored liquids that could otherwise stain your clear braces.

Purchase the Invisalign cleaner from your dentist

You can clean your aligners with just toothpaste and mouthwash. However, a cleaner specifically formulated for clear braces tends to be even more effective. If you really want to avoid stains and keep your braces clear, it is a good idea to buy this rinse from your dentist, and then use it as directed on the bottle.

Brush your teeth extra thoroughly

When you brush your teeth, make sure you do as thorough a job as possible. You want to get rid of any plaque or bacteria that could stain your aligners when you put them back in. Set your timer to make sure you brush for a full two minutes. Make sure you spend 30 seconds on each quadrant of your mouth.

Clear braces are clear when they are new, but it does take some attention to detail to keep them that way. Before long, following the tips above will become a habit.  

For more information about clear braces, reach out to a business such as Wicker Park Dental Group.


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