You know how much NW Calgary Orthodontist – Dr. Cory Liss – loves Invisalign, with the clear aligners and ease of removal – he and his team at Cory Liss Orthodontics want you to know how important it is to keep your aligners clean during orthodontic treatment – as without a little TLC food particles and bacteria can quickly ruin your smile.

For those of you who wear any form of orthodontic retainer or appliance know that Dr. Liss expects you to not only wear your appliance faithfully, but keep it clean by soaking it in some antibacterial solution and gently brushing it to remove remnants of food.  Well your Invisalign Aligners also need some attention to not only keep them looking good, but free from particles of food that can cause them to become smelly and stained.

The first step in keeping your Invisalign Clear Aligners clean starts with how well you brush and floss your teeth.  Daily brushing and flossing is an important step to keeping any orthodontic appliance clean as food that gets trapped between teeth can easily be transferred on to the retainer and if left become the perfect place for bacteria to form.  When food is stuck in the aligners odors form and staining can occur – making the aligners appear dirty and unattractive.  Keeping your Invisalign retainers in tip-top condition just means a few extra seconds are added to your daily oral hygiene routine and consists of:

• Always brush and floss your teeth after eating – this will ensure that sticky food doesn’t transfer on to the aligners.
• Rinse aligners in lukewarm water after you have brushed your teeth – dry aligners tend to get smelly quickly.
• Every other day you can soak your aligners in Invisalign’s cleaning crystals or in a dish with half a denture cleaning tab.  Make sure the water isn’t hot as the aligners can distort in hot water.
• Using an extra soft toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of toothpaste gently clean your aligners.  Never scrub your Invisalign Aligners as this can impact the aligners’ effectiveness and delay treatment results.

If you are not sure how to care for your Invisalign retainers – or would like more information regarding Invisalign Teeth Straightening System – contact this Calgary Orthodontist today 403.287.0746

Dr. Cory Liss is a Certified Orthodontist with offices in both Calgary and Airdrie – Welcoming New Patients