How do you clean clear aligners?
Clear aligners are cleaned twice a day, morning and evening, by gently brushing them under cold or lukewarm water with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a small amount of unscented liquid soap. When you take them out for each meal, rinsing them with water and brushing your teeth before putting them back in is enough. Soaking the aligners in a cleaning tablet solution for 15–20 minutes two or three times a week prevents bacterial buildup, odor and clouding. Hot water, toothpaste, colored mouthwash, bleach and alcohol-based cleaners are not used because they damage the aligner.
The purpose of cleaning aligners is not only appearance. Aligners cover the teeth 20–22 hours a day; an aligner that is not clean prevents saliva from washing over the teeth, increasing the risk of cavities and gum inflammation. A clean aligner also stays transparent and odorless.
What should your daily cleaning routine look like?
Morning
- Take out the aligner and rinse it with cold water.
- Put a drop of unscented liquid soap on a soft toothbrush reserved for the aligner only; gently brush the inner and outer surfaces of the aligner, especially the gum-line edges and the attachment wells.
- Rinse thoroughly so that no soap residue remains.
- Brush your teeth and put the aligner back in after breakfast.
During the day
- Every time you take it out, rinse the aligner with water and put it in its case.
- Brush your teeth after meals; if you cannot brush, rinse your mouth with plenty of water, then rinse the aligner and put it back in.
- Do not wrap the aligner in a napkin; it gets lost and collects bacteria.
Evening
- Take out the aligner and brush it as in the morning.
- Brush and floss your teeth; food debris trapped under the aligner stays in contact with the teeth all night.
- Put the aligner in. If it is a cleaning tablet day, soak it in the solution first, rinse it and then put it in.
Details on putting in and taking out aligners and the daily routine are on the how to use clear aligners page.
How do you use clear aligner cleaning tablets?
Cleaning tablets remove the bacterial film, light stains and odor from the aligner surface. Tablets made for clear aligners or retainers and denture cleaning tablets work in a similar way; either can be used, but you need to follow the time and temperature instructions on the box.
- Fill a glass with room-temperature or lukewarm (not hot) water.
- Drop the tablet into the water and, once it starts to dissolve, place the aligner in it.
- Leave it for 15–20 minutes; the time differs for some products, so read the box. Do not leave the aligner in the solution overnight.
- Take it out, give it a quick brush with a soft brush and rinse it with plenty of water.
Two or three times a week is enough; daily use is not necessary. Because aligners are changed every 7–14 days, tablet use is often more important for the retainer, which is worn for months, than for active treatment. For retainer care, see the retention after clear aligners page.
What can be used instead of tablets?
- White vinegar and water (1:1): Soak for 15 minutes and rinse thoroughly; once a week is enough. It reduces odor.
- Baking soda solution: One teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water; soak for 15 minutes. Do not rub baking soda on with a brush in powder form, as it scratches.
- Chlorhexidine-free, alcohol-free, colorless mouthwash: The aligner can be soaked briefly in diluted mouthwash; colored products stain.
What should you not use when cleaning clear aligners?
- Hot and boiling water: Aligners are thermoplastic; hot water warps them and the aligner will no longer fit. Dishwashers and boiling are prohibited for the same reason.
- Toothpaste: Most toothpastes contain abrasives; they create micro-scratches on the aligner surface, and these scratches trap stains and bacteria, making the aligner cloudy.
- Colored mouthwash: Blue, green or purple mouthwashes stain the aligner permanently. Alcohol-based mouthwashes can harden the plastic and make it brittle.
- Bleach and chlorine products: They erode the aligner and are not safe for your health.
- Hard brushes and scrubbing: A soft brush and light pressure are enough.
- Scented or colored soap: Scent and color can transfer to the aligner; choose a clear, unscented liquid soap.
- Drying in the sun or near a heater: Heat deforms the aligner; let it air-dry or place it in its case slightly damp.
Why do aligners turn yellow, and why do they smell?
The most common causes of yellowing are consuming colored drinks such as tea, coffee or red wine with the aligner in, smoking, putting the aligner in after a meal without brushing your teeth and not cleaning the aligner well enough. Odor comes from the bacterial film that builds up on the aligner surface; inadequate tongue and tooth cleaning, dry mouth and leaving the aligner wrapped in a napkin make the odor worse.
The solution: drink anything other than water with the aligner removed, brush your teeth after every meal, brush the aligner morning and evening and use a tablet two or three times a week. A slightly yellowed aligner does not disrupt treatment; since aligners are changed every 7–14 days anyway, each new aligner starts clean. For problems other than yellowing and odor, see the clear aligner problems page.
How do you clean the aligner case?
The case gets just as dirty as the aligner. Wash it every day with lukewarm water and soap; once a week, when you soak the aligner with a tablet, you can put the case in the same solution. Do not leave the case closed and damp; close it once it has dried. If the case breaks, get a new one from the clinic or a pharmacy; carrying the aligner without its case is the most common reason aligners get lost.
How do you care for aligners when traveling?
- Take your aligner case, a small toothbrush, travel-size liquid soap and a few cleaning tablets with you.
- Bring your previous aligner and, if possible, your next aligner as spares; that way treatment is not disrupted if one is lost.
- On planes and long journeys the aligner stays in; take it out during meal service and put it in its case.
- Rinse with bottled water; do not use tap water in places where the drinking water is not safe.
- Do not leave the aligner out in the open in your hotel room; keep it away from hot, sunny spots.
- Soaking the aligner with a tablet when you get back from a trip helps restore oral hygiene.
Common cleaning mistakes
- Only rinsing the aligner with water and never brushing it
- Brushing with toothpaste and making the aligner cloudy
- Leaving it in the tablet solution overnight
- Wrapping the aligner in a napkin and leaving it on the table
- Putting the aligner in after a meal without brushing your teeth
- Never washing the case
Proper cleaning keeps the aligner transparent and odorless and keeps your teeth and gums healthy throughout treatment. If redness or bleeding of the gums or tooth sensitivity develops, cleaning the aligner is not enough; these symptoms should be reported to your doctor without waiting for the checkup appointment. You can find out what users experience with aligners in daily life on the what it is like to wear clear aligners page.