The Importance of Hygienic Aligners

Your nighttime aligners are designed to stay in your mouth all night while you sleep. With that in mind, it’s so important that you keep your aligners clean and hygienic between uses. Leaving your aligners out where they can get dusty, for example, means you’re introducing that dust to your mouth.

Similarly, if you don’t clean them after they’ve been in your mouth, bacteria can breed on your aligners. Next time you put them in, you’ll be introducing higher volumes of bacteria directly to your gums, which can cause bad breath, gum disease, or even make you sick.

Thankfully, regular cleaning and care prevent these problems from occurring.

Protecting Aligners From Damage

Keeping aligners clean is important, but so is avoiding damage. The tiniest crack in an aligner can cause the following issues:

• The aligner may warp and not fit correctly anymore.
• You may be able to feel the crack or other damage (such as an abrasion), which can be very uncomfortable.
• As cracks worsen, they can cause damage and pain to your gums or teeth.
• Cracks become a harbor for bacteria, making your aligners much more difficult to clean.
• If left, cracks can deepen and cause the aligner to break completely.

If you drop your aligner, scrape it on something, or trap it under something heavy, always check for damage before using it again. Make sure you keep your aligners in a safe space during the day.

Your Regular Nighttime Aligners Care Schedule

Now you know why you should look after your nighttime aligners, let’s take a close look at how to reach that goal.

Nighttime aligners are placed directly over your teeth before you go to bed. You should ensure that both the top and bottom aligners (when using both) are seated perfectly on your teeth.

When you wake up, gently remove your aligners. For most clear aligners, you loosen the device behind your back teeth, then carefully remove it from the front. You can now follow a regular cleaning routine for your nighttime aligners:

• Brushing: You should brush every surface of your aligners with a soft toothbrush daily. This removes saliva and any food particles that may have been trapped between your teeth and transferred to the aligners.
• Cleaning with tablets: For a deeper, more hygienic clean, use specialist tablets. Drop a tablet into a glass of water with your nighttime aligners. The tablet will fizz, releasing cleaning agents that ensure every part of the aligner is cleaned correctly. Once the fizzing stops, rinse your aligners under cool, clean water.
• Ultrasonic cleaning: Using an Ultrasonic Cleaner is the most thorough way to clean your aligners. High-frequency ultrasonic vibrations combined with sanitizing UV light provide a high level of hygiene for your peace of mind.
• Protecting: Use a dedicated case to keep your nighttime aligners safe from knocks and bumps. An aligner case is an inexpensive way to keep aligners dust-free, clean, and free from damage.

You could rinse and use tablets daily while utilizing your ultrasonic cleaner once a week as a deep clean, or you can use any of the cleaning options daily. As long as your aligners are clean and hygienic, you’re doing a great job.

Your Journey to a Beautiful Smile

As your teeth shift within your mouth and change position, you’ll eventually need new aligners that fit perfectly with your new dental layout. With SmileSet, you get all of the aligners for your smile-straightening journey with clear, easy-to-follow instructions for how and when to use each one.

In-home aligners help you avoid multiple visits to the dentist to get impressions taken and have your teeth assessed. You simply use the at-home impression set and send it back. SmileSet’s experts carefully evaluate your impressions and design a treatment plan tailored to you.

Remember, keeping your newly straightened teeth beautiful is both possible and affordable with a regular retainer replacement subscription. Retainers secure your smile by ensuring that your teeth don’t shift back to their original position over time.

Contact us or sign up for a recurring retainer replacement subscription or start your smile transformation journey with clear, in-home aligners that feel great — and are simple to use and maintain.