INVISALIGN AND RETAINER CLEANING TIPS l Dr. Melissa Bailey

[@meganveal-briscoe6974]

Starting Invisalign tomorrow and thanks to your videos I am feeling really confident and excited to start my journey to straight teeth!

[@TrayMinder]

That’s great to hear. Good luck with your treatment:)

[@robertcochran7103]

I purchased an ultrasonic device to clean my aligners. Thank you very much for the discussion of these devices. I bought the same brand ultrasonic device as is shown in this video. Amazon offers numerous different brands. I also followed the same cleaning procedure shown here. Thanks again!

[@TrayMinder]

Great to hear!

[@pm6203]

She is the best. Clear explanation, straight to the point, also personal tips since she uses that on her own and the attention to the cost efficiency also is a plus. I am still waiting for my invisilign to arrive, but I know ahead pro and cons and all the tips and cleaning procedures. Thanks Doctor 👩‍⚕️

[@TrayMinder]

You made my day! Thanks for taking the time to share your comment. It really helps other people to find this channel. Good luck with your treatment.

[@Thebraids]

" it's like taking a shower but putting on dirty clothes". You always come up with the funniest metaphors. I got my braces off three days ago. I have a fixed retainer on the bottom and on the top teeth. I will be given clear retainers next week. I'm sure I'll be able to keep my clear retainers clean, but cleaning your teeth with fixed retainers is tricky!

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks! Congratulations on finishing your treatment :)

[@robertcochran7103]

Thank you so much for this excellent video. Now I understand why I see little white dots in my Invisalign trays. They are deposits from my own saliva. I guess I need to consider ultrasonic cleaning. And yes, I am a happy TrayMinder user.

[@mrcharliewebb]

Thank you! I'm using Smile Direct and of course they want you only to use their products. I can't afford all that, but do have Polident tabs.

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks for watching.

[@betsyk22]

I buy my Efferdent/Polident at Costco. They sell it behind the pharmacy counter cheap. Use the three minute type.

[@vanessaputnam5301]

I've been using the Target up-and-up brand. Glad to see you mentioned that one. Has been working well and the price is great.

[@TrayMinder]

Glad to hear it :)

[@indah2597]

Are you using them to clean your aligners every day ?

[@elisabethherzog9369]

This was very helpful! My mom uses some Polident for her bite guard and I have an Oral B spin brush so it’s great to know that I can use both of those!

[@TrayMinder]

Great! Let us know how it works out for you.

[@ld8258]

I'm in week 17 and I have used a solution of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water to soak my trays while eating. Once done eating, I brush my teeth for breakfast and lunch, and brush and floss after dinner. In all instances, I remove my trays from vinegar/water solution and brush and then rise with water and place my trays back on my teeth. I've had no issues and the vinegar/water solution kills bacteria.

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks for sharing your experience with others. Great tips.

[@franz3091]

Once again, thank you very much for your very helpful informations

[@TrayMinder]

You’re welcome - glad to hear the videos have been helpful for you.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

Your videos are very helpful. I think Invisalign should be compensating you for all this helpful inform ation. Efferent rablets make them feel fresh. And they are recommended for alignera.

[@TrayMinder]

Thank you for watching :)

[@thereadingsylph]

Lol I love polident. My trays feel squeaky clean in my hands after it's done. After soaking it I also give it a brief mechanical brush with a toothbrush but wouldn't go as meticulous as I would when I wash it with soap.

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

[@sreyamathew327]

I don't get the cleaning tablets in my country.😢

[@Username46388]

Anyone else need a separate toothbrush to clean the aligners.😭

[@princessjones34]

There’s a brush that comes with some denture cup I will use that for my aligners

[@lasyasharma8870]

​@@princessjones34 can u please send the link

[@Hvids99]

I use alcohol free mouth wash to soak my aligners, works great without the possibility of damage from the alcohol.

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks for sharing your experience with others.

[@goldmouth100]

What brand of mouthwash do you use ? Anything specific

[@CameronEvolved]

I have a question. I brush my trays 3 times a day after eating, but I also soak them in mix of hydrogen peroxide (about 15%) and water (about 85%) for about an hour in the morning. Is that okay?

[@jacquelines3685]

Cameron Evolved My Dentist/Orthodontist told me to soak my aligners in Hydrogen peroxide/Water anytime they are not in my mouth. I keep a Fresh solution in a covered container for my aligners everyday.

[@pennypiper5857]

Thanks for sharing

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks for watching!

[@psirisakorn]

This is very useful information and worth listening to if are interested in this topic.

[@TrayMinder]

So glad to hear it was helpful. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Your comment helps others to find this channel.

[@tylercarter5597]

I usually just use my toothbrush after I brush my teeth without rinsing the toothpaste off so it's not so abrasive. I will however put fresh toothpaste on before cleaning them once a day to make sure they are getting sterilized properly.

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks for sharing your process with others. I'm sure they can benefit from it.

[@triptigupta8342]

Can we use salt water for cleaning retainer? Or life boy liquid hand wash will cause any damage?

[@nonshatter7]

Thanks for the advice. Can I use Milton Sterilising fluid (diluted) to soak Invisalign in? What do you think of Retainer Brite? I noticed it was not in the top 3 cleaning methods you mentioned at 2:48. As for the Listerine, perhaps you could experiment with an old set of aligners to see if it cleans.

[@TrayMinder]

Not familiar with Milton, but I like Retainer Brite and recommend it.

[@MajorasMaskMailman]

Great video!

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks!

[@Mickieshelton]

Just got invalign..very helpful video

[@TrayMinder]

Great to hear. Thanks for your comment - it really helps others to find this channel.

[@KiranSan]

Great advice. Thanks

[@TrayMinder]

You’re welcome.

[@BigFanCooks]

Super helpful!

[@TrayMinder]

Glad to hear it. Thanks for commenting - it helps others to find this channel.

[@BigFanCooks]

@@TrayMinder can I ask a follow up question? I am now wearing it everyday, sometimes when I go out to eat I can’t brush my teeth after eating, if I just pop aligners back, will it effect adversely?

[@frankbruno6717]

With Invisalign after I've finished eating/drinking, should I brush my teeth immediately, as I was told it's best to wait at least 30 mins because it can damage the enamel. What do you advise? Also, is it safe to water floss immediately or should I wait 30 mins again?

[@TrayMinder]

Great question. You’re right to avoid brushing immediately after eating or drinking *acidic foods. Rinse with water or water with baking soda to neutralize the acids. Brush thoroughly at least twice daily and floss daily.

[@DS-nh4gu]

This has been the biggest struggle for me! I feel like I'm the only one who follows this rule and it elongates the time that I have my aligners out. If it takes me 30 minutes to eat and 30 minutes to wait after eating, I can only eat twice a day (which has been the case). This is annoying me.

[@DS-nh4gu]

@@TrayMinder I was told as a kid that it applies to sugary foods as well. Is that true?

[@yulisagarcia2475]

I thought it was 10 min I have been waiting 10 minutes so I rush to finish eating in 20.

[@DS-nh4gu]

@@yulisagarcia2475 I kinda started cutting it down to 10-15, because the 30 minute wait was killing my wear time.

[@triptigupta8342]

Can we use alcohol free mouthwash

[@deepakhiremath6171]

Is brushing aligners after every meal with toothpaste enough ?

[@TrayMinder]

You’re fine with that routine.

[@veronicamwarren5750]

Hi thanks for the information. Is there a Walmart brand of polident or is it ok to buy polident from Walmart they are closer to where I live.

[@TrayMinder]

I haven’t read the ingredients but it’s likely very similar. You should be fine :)

[@gemandblueskies]

The Invisalign pamphlet which came with my aligners said not to use denture cleaner as it can change the clarity of the aligners. Is that probably just to encourage you to use their crystals instead? Also it’s quite hard to find these brands in Australia, is any denture cleaner fine? Also my electric toothbrush used daily to clean the aligner won’t damage it will it?

[@TrayMinder]

Good questions. The best thing to do is to either spend the money to buy the crystals or test some other cleaner with an old set of aligners. Let us know what you find out.

[@triptigupta8342]

My orthodontist said that i just need brush and water. But what about bacteria, will it get rid of it. And my dentist said not to use vinegar. What should i do?

[@Jonsbasecamp]

Thank you!

[@Jessie-ei9oy]

I use prevident 5000 booster ( Colgate )every night but I do not rinse with water afterwards. I just spit and put in my Invisalign . Can this damage my enamel?

[@TrayMinder]

I like that toothpaste.

[@monicastraub3372]

I just got my aligners yesterday, I asked about polident and my orthos assistant that did the work, told me that they might be abrasive to the plastic? Do find this to not be true?

[@TrayMinder]

Good question. Research shows that effervescent tablets are a good adjunct to cleaning aligners in combination with manual brushing. scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=hydrogen+peroxide+cleaning+aligners&btnG#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3D47J0i8aJL-cJ

[@monicastraub3372]

@@TrayMinder thank you. 😊

[@cesarbaltazar6874]

How important is it to dry your Invisalign trays after cleaning them, I take a long time trying to dry them out because I read that they shouldn’t be wet because it will be too moisturized and won’t affect movement on teeth as much. Am I overthinking this? If anyone can help out, thank you in advance!

[@thegamerbros7150]

I’m have a lot of crowing problems the dentis wants me to get rid 4 healthy teeth and I a slight under bite you think I should get Invisalign

[@TrayMinder]

Your question is very specific and without seeing you or your records, I can’t answer the question properly. See an orthodontist for a consultation to help you decide.

[@kimberlykochaniec6735]

What about hydrogen peroxide and water?

[@TrayMinder]

According to a study funded by Align Tech (maker of Invisalign), “Over the long-term there is a gradual decrease in transmittance of clear retainers with certain solutions creating less translucency. Surface roughness and flexibility are generally unaffected in the long term but may be affected by oxiders.” Note that hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent and “hydrogen peroxide caused the greatest decrease in the flexibility of the ACR (Essix retainers).

[@AEW0416]

Thank you for the video. If you’re using a sonic cleaner, do you have to put the liners in a little bag first before putting them in? Can you not just put them in the little basket?

[@TrayMinder]

You can. Depending on the size of the tank, the solution will be less concentrated.

[@brittany8533]

Great video! Do you recommend using the denture cleanser soaking method once daily or anytime the trays are out of the mouth (~3x/day during mealtimes)?

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks. Although once a day is sufficient, you may elect to save the solution in a cup and drop the aligners in throughout the day after rinsing and brushing them under running water.

[@ปวริศาทิมมณี-จ3ว]

After using ultrasonic machine to clean my essix retainer, I found that the used water in that machine is quite warm (but not hot or boiled). Will my retainer get damaged or change shape?

[@TrayMinder]

Most likely it will be fine.

[@harshmittal4913]

Brushing helps but even after they smell very bad don't know how to dealt with this even tried using disinfectanct(like Dettol disinfectant)

[@TrayMinder]

Have you tried hydrogen peroxide? Mix 1:1 with water.

[@annielegris7930]

Hi! You must've said it at one point but I must've missed it, but how long do you soak them for? (I'll be using polident like I did with my night guard) Thank you

[@TrayMinder]

Great question: 3-5 minutes, longer is fine.

[@motivationalvideo2456]

Can I use dettol soap (skin care) for cleaning

[@TrayMinder]

Most mild soaps should be fine. Not familiar with Dettol.

[@aamin6933]

What about steradent denture cleaner

[@TrayMinder]

Should work the same as Polident and Retainer Brite but I have not personally tested it myself. You can always test on an old set of aligners.

[@saritaraghuwanshi1412]

Can i use toothpaste on my retainer

[@indhujagan4110]

I just got invisalign retainers a week ago and currently I’ve been using a hand liquid to clean them morning & night. This handliquid I’ve been using is scented and is pink in color but while cleaning I dont notice any pink. I also heard use of dish soap is fine too. Is it really okay to use hand soap/dish soap? Also, The white distilled vinegar method for soaking ..is that to be done only once in a week or can I soak it morning and night instead of my usual method of brushing it with hand liquid. Please advise.

[@TrayMinder]

Hand soap is fine to brush aligners with. Most patients use distilled vinegar on an as needed basis. Both brushing and soaking will give the best results.

[@indhujagan4110]

@@TrayMinder Got it ! thank you for the reply.

[@sL0v3ss]

Hi, I'm on my first tray and I've been cleaning my trays with the mechanical method. I've noticed that my mouth has been smelling more than what it used to. I'm not sure if it's the trays or just the mouth or the saliva (which I doubt because I'm very particular about cleaning my tongue too). Please advise me what to do in this situation.

[@TrayMinder]

Drinking more water, flossing daily, and thorough brushing along with cleaning trays with hydrogen peroxide or aligner cleaners may be helpful.

[@ryleyskog4906]

Listerine stained my aligners yellow! I would use the polident

[@TrayMinder]

Good to know. Thank you.

[@thatstheguy07]

How is there time to soak the trays? When you wear them most of the day and night.

[@TrayMinder]

Most people do it during dinner time, when the trays are out for the longest time.

[@thatstheguy07]

@@TrayMinder I see I was thinking it had to be over night with polydent. Its just 15 min like the crystals?

[@danielcollins7714]

Is the ultrasonic cleaner ok to use? I’ve used one for about 5 minutes and the water is warm after. I don’t want the shape of the aligned to change

[@TrayMinder]

Interesting. Luke warm water is fine.

[@pdxable]

any reason not to use the ultrasonic cleaner for all cleaning or do u still need to brush them as well?

[@TrayMinder]

You can experiment and see if it gets your trays clean enough. I like to give my trays a quick brush under running water first.

[@Luckygirlme111]

My attachments got stained from food, what can I do about it?

[@TrayMinder]

There isn’t too much you can do. Some patients find brushing with baking soda with an electric toothbrush to be helpful. If there are porosities within the attachment, you won’t be able to reach the stains mechanically.

[@Luckygirlme111]

@@TrayMinder Luckily it has started to fade by just brushing my teeth like normal (it was from turmeric). Is it safe to clean my aligners with baking soda too? Because even though I ate without them in the yellow attachments stained the aligners

[@TrayMinder]

You can try hydrogen peroxide, which is an oxidative agent. Tumeric is the worst offender. If you find a solution, please share.

[@S3r53]

Great tips Dr. I'll try the vinegar and H2O solution for tartar removal

[@TrayMinder]

Let me know how it goes for you.

[@sharins2265]

Can I use ACT mouth wash after cleaning ?

[@TrayMinder]

Yes

[@saddz]

A+ for information as usual 🌹 However quick question, instead of using toothpaste like you mentioned at the initial part of the video for the mechanical method, can baking soda be used? I'm so skeptical using any products at all, but just using water and brushing alone seems so inadequate. I await your response, keep up the amazing work as usual.

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks for the comment. Baking soda can be used, although it can be scratchy to the surface of the aligners. You can always test it on an old pair of aligners to see. Please report back.

[@saddz]

Thank you for the reply, ironically I did put in a new set of aligners today lol so imma do what you've recommended and try the baking soda with the old set. Will let you know how it goes. Keep up the fantastic work 🌹

[@TennisObsessed]

Thank you so much! I was going to buy the Invisalign crystals but I appreciate your recommendation to use the Target version of Polident instead. A huge savings! I noticed that some denture cleaners contain Corn Syrup Solids (sugar!), I guess for taste? If we rinse the aligners after soaking, I'm hoping that the sugar will be rinsed away sufficiently not to harm teeth?

[@TrayMinder]

Glad the video was helpful for you. That’s a good observation. Yes, as long as you rinse the aligners out well, you should be fine.

[@LittleEolf]

Hello! What is the best time to clean aligners with tablets (i.e Retainer Brite, Polident) as we only need to use them once a day? Morning or Night?

[@TrayMinder]

Great question. Anytime of the day that works for you. Brushing in conjunction with soaking is always recommended.

[@detapmpknz]

Just curious 🧐 Why packing Aligner in ziplock bag? If I just put my Aligner into the cleaner, will it change the shape or have any other effects?

[@TrayMinder]

No, the bag keeps the solution more concentrated.

[@reneemitchell5325]

I use a separate baby toothbrush to clean my aligners. And, I soak them for 15 minutes at night with 1 tab of denture cleaner with water.

[@Stasharenee]

Hi. I use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect once a day. Is this okay and is once a day okay?

[@TrayMinder]

According to a study funded by Align Tech (maker of Invisalign), “Over the long-term there is a gradual decrease in transmittance of clear retainers with certain solutions creating less translucency. Surface roughness and flexibility are generally unaffected in the long term but may be affected by oxiders.” Note that hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent and “hydrogen peroxide caused the greatest decrease in the flexibility of the ACR (Essix retainers).

[@joe_shmo]

Oh I use hydrogen peroxide too, but I’ll have to switch.

[@laurengrippaldi7424]

I use eversmile whitening foam and love it!

[@laurengrippaldi7424]

It whitens my aligners and teeth and to deep clean I soak them and brush them then rinse and put more before I put them on for bed

[@laurengrippaldi7424]

I get them from Amazon 2 pack for $37 not bad at all :)

[@TrayMinder]

@lauren Grippalei: thanks for the recommendation. Will try it out.

[@tijanatica_]

vinigar works best :)

[@TrayMinder]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@sj-zd3qs]

cleaning aligners with non alcoholic mouthwash

[@TrayMinder]

Retainer Brite is a good option.

[@dracojensei1141]

Alwsys take ur toothbrushe