Invisalign cleaning crystals; a guide from Buttercup Dental

So, you’ve been given the green light to use an invisible aligner and are now starting your journey towards having a straighter smile. Great stuff!

But, as with all new things in life, there will be some things to learn about wearing a removable orthodontic aligner and, one of the key things you may have concerns about is how to keep those clear aligners, well, clear!

At Buttercup 7 Day Dental, we have used Invisalign Glasgow for over 10 years, helping our patients to achieve the straighter smile that they want and deserve, we know everything there is to know about this invisible aligner and will aim to help it blend into your life as seamlessly as possible. Great!

With that in mind, in this article, we are going to be talking about Invisalign Glasgow and will be introducing you to cleaning crystals designed to clean your aligners, made by the same brand. So, read on to learn more about how to keep your invisible aligners invisible.

What are cleaning crystals?

As you may or may not have been told by our dental team, when it comes to Invisalign Glasgow, you need to wear the aligners for a minimum of 22 hours per day for the aligners to work.

And so, the aligners will need regular cleaning and one trending way to achieve this is with cleaning crystals. These crystals keep the plastic on the aligners clear, will help with removing sticky food debris and will even help keep the aligners smelling fresh too!

What are they made from?

You may have concerns about using cleaning crystals without knowing their ingredients.

Luckily, these crystals are made from sodium sulfate, sodium carbonate and sodium lauryl sulfate. If you recognise these ingredients, good! You have been reading the ingredients on the back of your toothpaste and so, these crystals are entirely safe for use with aligners.

How do I use them?

To use your cleaning crystals, use the following steps;

Rinse your aligners under a cool tap.

Fill your designated ‘cleaning cup’ with lukewarm water and place your aligners into it, submerging them.

Open a pack of the crystals and empty them into the water and let the aligners soak for around 15 minutes.

When time is up, remove the aligners and rinse them under a lukewarm tap. Make sure none of the crystals is attached to the aligners.

Take a soft-bristled toothbrush and remove any of the loosened food debris.

Dry the aligners and then place them either in your mouth or your carry case.

Repeat the above steps twice daily for maximum transparency of your aligners.

Are there alternatives?

There are some other ways to keep your aligners clean.

As you may have guessed from above, you can soak them in plain lukewarm water, but that may not help to keep them transparent and clear. You could also use regular toothpaste to remove food debris from your aligners, but depending on the colour of your toothpaste, this can cause staining.

Do not under any circumstances use mouthwash to clean your aligners for this same reason and to avoid warping, never clean your aligners under a hot tap.