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We on this website spend plenty of time spent talking about how to care for fixed orthodontic appliances, and how to clean them and maintain them, but more and more people are turning to aligners, and this results in questions about how to care for and maintain those. At first I did not take these seriously, but doing some research, I found that there are several things that do need discussing.
How To Clean
Use anything to clean it that you would not mind putting in your mouth. Don’t use soap or any harsh chemicals, as these can damage your gums and soft tissues when you put the aligner back in. Use mouthwash, toothpaste and other such things, these kill bacteria just as efficiently. Since you need to use them as often as possible to ensure shorter treatment time, you do not have the option of soaking them the same way you would soak a denture. This is why it is important to clean the device itself.
The Case
Usually, your aligners will come with a special case built just for it, in which you can keep it and carry it around with you while you are eating or drinking or doing whatever it is that makes you unable to wear the device at the given moment. It is important to make use of this case, to keep it clean, and to keep your aligner in it when you are not using it. Otherwise, you can accidentally put it in something (remember, bacteria are microscopic and thus invisible), or lose it, which is disastrous for your treatment plan, not to mention that losing your aligner will cost you extra money, as you will need to buy a new one. So using and keeping your case clean is essential.
And that pretty much covers it. Seeing as you can remove your aligner whenever you want and clean your teeth, there is nothing more really to mention about caring for your aligner. Make sure you brush at least twice a day, and floss regularly, and follow the instructions above, and you should not suffer from tooth decay.
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