I’ve hardly been wearing my new Invisalign tray for a week and I am totally grossed out. I’m a complete germ freak and all I can think about is I’m putting a dirty, germ-filled tray back in my mouth all the time. I brush them with toothpaste each time I brush my teeth, but I’m still worried there’s bacteria growing on them and they will eventually start tasting bad and make my breath smell awful. So mints have become my friend lately. I’m thinking about running them through my dishwasher once a week to get them good and clean. It’s just a little hot water, so I don’t think it will damage them. Am I right? — Mina
Mina,
The dishwasher is for exactly what it’s named for – dishes! Aligners or retainers should never go in one because “that little bit of hot water” could easily heat them up and bend them. Not to mention the heated dry is even worse and could melt them completely. The aligners could even get caught and damaged in the moving parts, sprayer or drain.
Follow the instructions your dentist gave you for cleaning or buy the Invisalign cleaning kit. If you have white vinegar, it can be used as a quick DIY disinfectant to soak your aligners (about 30 minutes once a week should be sufficient). If you soak them more often or for longer periods of time, you may want to mix it 50/50 with water. The vinegar kills bacteria and doesn’t damage or discolor. Just be e sure you’re still brushing them daily in addition to the occasionally vinegar soak.
As for the mints, you may not be doing yourself any favors if they have sugar in them. Excess sugar into your mouth actually feeds bacteria – which leads to decay that can get trapped between the aligners and your enamel for hours. Skip the mints and just keep up a good cleaning routine and you should be fine.
This blog is sponsored by Dr. Stephen Doan. Find out more about the services he provides by visiting his La Jolla cosmetic dental website.