Can I Use Mouthwash with Invisalign in My Mouth?
And a Whole Bunch of Other Great Questions We’ve Heard
For some of us, living our best smile comes with a few extra steps. When one of those extra steps is orthodontic work, Invisalign clear aligners are the go-to treatment for teens and adults. If you’ve got a simple shift (or some major work) in your future, this custom-tailored treatment may be in store for your smile upgrade. But just like when you’re correcting your smile with braces, Invisalign requires you to stay on top of your oral hygiene 24/7. Keeping your trays and your mouth clean is important for all the hard work going on in there. To help our Invisalign family, we’re checking out great questions like, “Can I use mouthwash with Invisalign in my mouth?” With just a few of these questions answered, your journey to a positively glowing smile might just get a little bit easier.
Stopping Stains for a Brighter Smile
One of the best tricks of the trade with Invisalign? Don’t get them dirty in the first place! It’s super easy to keep your aligners fresh and un-stained – especially when you only drink water while they’re working their mouth magic.
Drinking other beverages (or eating food) is an easy way to mess up and stain your Invisalign. Even brushing your teeth after drinking coffee, tea, soda, and other dark beverages is important for preventing stains! Invisalign is the chameleon of correcting smiles, but they aren’t quite as discrete when they’re stained brown from coffee.
Can I Use Mouthwash with Invisalign in My Mouth?
It’s best to avoid using mouthwash with Invisalign in your mouth. Mouthwash often has colors in it that can stain your trays (or harsh chemicals that can damage the clear aligners).
So if it’s off-limits with your Invisalign, when exactly can you use mouthwash? Using mouthwash after you brush and floss is highly recommended – just make sure it’s before you put your aligners back in. Keeping up with your oral hygiene routine stops bacteria from lurking in your mouth. If bacteria are caught in your teeth with your Invisalign clear aligners in place, you’re more likely to get cavities.
A Better Way to Stay Fresh
The recommended method for cleaning your aligners is brushing them with a soft-bristle toothbrush and clear anti-bacterial soap. Gently scrub any food particles away and then rinse under cold water. Never use hot water with your trays – it can end up warping your aligners.
While you’re correcting your bite, it’s super important to take care of both your mouth and your Invisalign. By keeping both clean, you’ll prevent cavities on your journey to a positively stellar smile!
Should I Soak My Aligners in Denture Cleaner?
You can use denture cleaners with your Invisalign, but we have a few other solutions that we recommend instead. You don’t want to use a harsh chemical or tinted liquid, so you soak your Invisalign in a hydrogen peroxide solution or vinegar solution. When dealing with nasty stains or cloudy aligners, we always recommend using Invisalign-brand cleaning crystals to brighten up your aligners. Be sure you talk with your orthodontist about the best way to take care of stains without keeping the aligners out of your mouth for too long.
Building Your Positive Pachter Smile
If you’re ready to have the smiliest smile around, then you’re in luck. Using the tips above, you can keep your clear aligners clean, fresh, and stain-free. From questions like, “Can I use mouthwash with Invisalign in my mouth?” to other concerns about how to clean your aligners, we hope you feel ready to take good care of your Invisalign during your inside-out transformation.