How to disinfect your Invisalign aligners

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#1 Post by **TinySmiley** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 9:38 am

hi everyone,
i was wondering how everyone disinfects their aligners. I asked the dental hygenist and she always tells me to brush with a regular toothpaste before reinserting them. I have done that but they still smell and get very cloudy. So, I began to soak them in water (while I eat--I heard that was a safe and easy way to keep them clean) and then brush them and at least once a week soak them in Listerine for 30 sec., but still that doesn't seem to have worked. I've read on the net that some people use denture cleansers, but some say it can be harsh on the aligners. So, what do you all use?
Thanks.

#2 Post by **lt81** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 11:16 am

I soak them once a day in steradent - I find it really gets rid of the ickiness.

#3 Post by **bbsadmin** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 12:16 pm

Any of the retainer cleaners we sell at www.DentaKit.com will disinfect the aligners. Retainer Brite, Sonic Brite, DentaSoak, and Cleanse Freshen Go all kill 99.9% of the germs on your retainer or aligner.

Steradent is not sold in the US, but it is basically the same type of product as Retainer Brite.

#4 Post by **ebee** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 6:55 pm

I find if I soak my aligners in 1/2 and 1/2 water and vinegar it takes all the gunk off!

#5 Post by **johnnyk** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 8:51 pm

steradent.. works great

#6 Post by **DrJasonKTam** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 11:50 pm

You may find that using toothpaste may increase the cloudiness of the aligners due to the abrasives in it. As such, if you're looking to mechanically clean the aligners with a brush, it's best to use water only.

#7 Post by **kcj** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:02 pm

I have had much better luck using just warm water and a toothbrush. I soak my aligners when I am eating, and probably once a day I add a splash of listerine to the water.

#8 Post by **andrea26** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 11:48 pm

I soak them in steradent once a day and it works perfectly. it gets all the stains off and they look nice a clean afterwards.

#9 Post by **kezzakattami** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:29 am

I'm a Steradent girl all the way lol. I used toothpaste to clean one of the sets of trays and they were the cloudiest and smelliest compared to all the others!!!

Im now in Essix retainers which are very similar to the Invisalign trays -I brush them with water each time i remove them, and soak them in Steradent each morning - Voila!!!

#10 Post by **TinySmiley** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 5:14 pm

thanks everyone for your helpful advice.

#11 Post by **Zoso** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:35 pm

I've never found a need to do anything but brush them. I always do it once a day, and usually twice. It gets rid of the coffee-ness which accrues way in the back.

And even if the braces look a little hazy, I sure don't see a difference in my teeth when I put them on. Whatever cloudiness they may have doesn't stand out against the teeth. So for me cleaning them is only for hygiene, getting rid of plaque and what not.

#12 Post by **kcj** » Sat Jan 30, 2010 6:24 pm

I've also found that not allowing my aligners to dry out helps keep away the funk.

I try to keep them in a cup of water whenever possible if they are out for longer than it takes to brush and pop them back in.

#13 Post by **Wireless** » Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:48 pm

I've been using a SonicBrite cleaner and using a child's toothbrush to do any final cleaning. This has worked extremely well considering I have had to wear the same upper aligner 10 weeks so far. I was given the ok to only wear my upper aligner at night, but the attachments on my upper premolars cause sores when I keep the aligner out.

This has worked so well, I plan to use with my clear retainers when I get them (hopefully in two or three months.