Aligner Care Kit - Best Practices for Caring for Aligners
Wanting to have a dazzling smile is perfectly natural. In fact, it has been found that your smile is one of the first things that others notice about you, so it makes sense you want to leave a good first impression and give them something to remember. The best way to achieve those goals is to be confident with your smile, which may mean straightening and whitening your teeth.
When it comes to straightening your teeth, you may decide to get invisible aligners. If that's the case, you may be wondering how to clean aligners properly. The process isn't difficult, but necessary to avoid odors or staining the plastic. We've put together some tips to ensure you get the most out of your aligners so that you can have a brilliant smile.
Why You Need to Clean Your Aligners
In addition to thinking about the best way to clean aligners, you may also be wondering why you need to clean them. The answer is that clean aligners contribute to good oral health. It's possible that food particles could get stuck in your aligners, which will allow bacteria to grow and odors to develop. Placing unclean aligners onto your teeth could cause bacteria to spread, which could lead to bad breath or other oral issues, including gingivitis, tooth decay or even cavities.
In addition, cleaning your aligners ensures that they stay invisible. One of the reasons many people decide to go with this teeth-straightening option is because they are subtle. If they aren't cleaned often, this could lead to staining. Not only does this make the aligners visible, but it may also make your teeth look stained and dirty.
How to Clean Aligners
Cleaning your aligners doesn't have to be a long, drawn-out process. Most of the steps are quick and easy. Taking care of your aligners ensures that you get the smile you've always wanted, so here are some tips on the best way to keep your aligners clean.
1. Always Remove the Aligners Before Eating and Drinking
About the only time you can keep your aligners in your mouth at a meal is if you are drinking water. Otherwise, you need to remove them for any other food or beverage. If you keep them in while eating or drinking, this could lead to damage or staining.
Remember, food particles can get stuck in the aligners, which will contribute to bacteria growth. It only takes a few seconds to remove and replace your aligners to eat or drink, but it's the best way to keep them clean and protect your oral health.
2. Rinse Your Aligners Every Time You Remove Them
You know now that you should be removing your aligners if you are eating or drinking anything other than water, but you should also rinse them every time you take them out. This helps remove any particles or other elements that may cause odors, discoloration or bacterial growth.
When rinsing, make sure to use cold or lukewarm water. Hot water could cause warping or other damage to your plastic aligners. If that happens, they won't be as effective at straightening your teeth, and you may incur replacement costs.
3. Store Your Aligners in the Case
Every time you take your aligners out, make sure to place them in their case. This protects them from damage and ensures that you don't accidentally throw them away or forget them.
4. Brush and Floss Daily
The goal of aligners is to straighten your teeth so that you can feel confident about your smile. In addition, you also want your teeth to shine. Brushing and flossing daily is essential in achieving that goal.
We mentioned that food particles can stick to aligners, but they can also get stuck in between and on the surface of your teeth. If this happens, it can also lead to bacteria growth, which impacts your oral health. Brushing and flossing twice a day keeps your mouth clean and helps your teeth look amazing.
You might also consider using the best product for teeth whitening at home so your bright smile will shine with the confidence of having straight, white teeth. At GLO Science, we offer a variety of different products to choose from, including GLO Pods and GLO Brilliant devices.
White teeth will help you feel really good about your smile, but our products can also help with your oral hygiene. Our products contain hydrogen peroxide, which is used to kill bacteria as well as whiten teeth. Whitening your teeth while you straighten them is the best way to get the smile you've dreamed of and keep your mouth healthy.
5. Clean Your Aligners
You may be rinsing your aligners every time you remove them, but you also need to clean your aligners. To do this, you'll need to brush them with a soft-bristled toothbrush and use an antibacterial soap. When you rinse them, make sure to use lukewarm water. But how often should I clean my aligners, you ask? Washing them twice a day is the best schedule to prevent odors and staining, and you can easily remember to do this by cleaning your aligners every time you brush your teeth.
Never use toothpaste on your aligners, as this may ruin them. You also shouldn't soak them in mouthwash either because the dyes could discolor your aligners.
Create a Smile You Can be Proud Of
Getting a smile that makes you proud might start with straightening and whitening your teeth. If you are looking to straighten your teeth subtly, then getting aligners is a good option. But to make this process effective, you need to keep the aligners clean. Thankfully, knowing how to clean aligners should make this decision quick and easy.
Whitening your teeth can be just as fast and simple too. At GLO Science, we offer a wide range of products to help you achieve your teeth whitening goals for new levels of confidence. Check out our selection today!
