Although the aligners are normally changed every 7-10 or 15 days, their daily cleaning is one of the most important aspects, so they are always clean and free of bacteria.
How often should I clean my aligners?
At least twice a day.
Do you clean your aligners or do you “soak” them under water?
Many patients rinse their aligners with water after brushing their teeth, but this is not enough. Although you do not see it, the same bacteria that you have in your mouth can proliferate in the aligners causing a bad smell and that is why you should follow the following steps:
- After brushing and flossing your teeth, rinse your aligners under the tap.
- Using a soft toothbrush (different from the one you use for your teeth), brush your aligners with liquid hand soap and water to remove bacteria and food debris that may remain on the aligner.
- After this, rinse your aligners with water again until all the soap is removed.
- Once clean, put your aligners back in your mouth.
The aligner has lost its transparency… Can I use anything to get it back?
After a few days of use, the aligners can lose their transparency, and to recover it you can use specific cleaning tablets for aligners from brands such as VITIS or COREGA that you can get from the chemist´s or online.
In order to use them, you will have to submerge your aligners for the recommended minutes (they change depending on the brand) in a glass/container with water and one of these tablets. After this you must rinse them with water and that’s it!
