Comments on: Invisalign Cleaning System vs. Efferdent

By: Cindy

Cindy — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:16:35 +0000

Insider tip: Retainer Brite is shipped in from overseas and is actually a repackaged denture tablet. Know this because a relative worked there. Don’t believe that it was reformulated!

We switched to RetainerFresh. Made in USA and soap free!

By: Fufa

Fufa — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 22:58:55 +0000

Hi… I’ve been soaking my aligners in listerine for about 1 week now, and nothing had happened to them…
they are invisible as they were when i got them!!!
i dont want to pay $95 to buy some cleaning system or anything!!! listerine is the best way for me to clean them!!!! good luck everyone!!!!

By: LT

LT — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:46:14 +0000

Thanks for all of the info! I just got my Invisalign yesterday, & was also given a cordless came with it. These comments have influenced me to at least try Retainer Brite, before I spend much more money on the Invisalign crystals…

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 03:44:49 +0000

I just got invisalign and have noticed the odor in less than a week. I got sick of brushing them with toothpaste every morning after I just did them the night before and I haven’t even eaten! When I had braces and got my retainer it was the same plastic material. All I ever used then was an Efferdent tablet. So, since you’re only wearing them for two weeks why not go with the cheapest. It’s just plastic people. Come on save your money for something better like a Starbucks coffee or splurge on clothing. Good Luck!

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 22 May 2007 18:02:08 +0000

I’ve used the Invisalign Cleaning System, SonicBrite, and Retainer Brite. The Invisalign Cleaning System works the best of the three since it gets the trays crystal clean. Retainer Brite does a good job but not as clean as the ICS. With SonicBrite, I noticed some residue and it’s a pain to have to use it with their vibrating device. I just wish that the ICS was cheaper. $1 per day (cleaning) is expensive in the long run!

By: Nick Hodulik

Nick Hodulik — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:53:32 +0000

Laurel, I don’t think Invisalign forced Orthoclear out of business. I am not exactly sure of the details, but from my understanding the guy who started Orthoclear was one of the original founders of Invisalign. He left Invisalign over some sort of kerfuffle and started Orthoclear. Invisalign had a bunch of patents on the process, and they sued Orthoclear. Orthoclear tried to maintain for a long time that “clear aligners” were an age-old invention and that they had been around for 60 years or something. In any case, from all appearances the guy in question really just started Orthoclear knowing that Invisalign was going to sue him and also knowing that in the long run that it would be far easier for Invisalign to settle and pay him what he wanted rather than fight it in court. It appears as if Invisalign knew this, too, and thus they fought him in an apparent dick-measuring contest. When they finally tired of it they settled out of court.

Again, I might be wrong about some of this, but it’s my understanding.

By: Laurel

Laurel — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:47:37 +0000

I am an unhappy Orthoclear customer who was forced to start using Invisalign. THere is no way in hell that I am spending one penny on this company after they forced Orthoclear out of business and jerked my orthodontist around the way they did. Orthoclear was a superior aligner. I am hating the new Invisalign sets I have to have in order to finish my orthodontics….—-as for daily care, with Orthoclear, all I ever did was brush them with a gel toothpaste in the shower in the morning and at night before bed. Orthoclear was a three week aligner, so you had them on a lot longer and they could get icky. My orthodontist said you could also soak them in about a teaspoon of bleach in a cup of water, then rinse really well. That deoderized them and I never saw any ill effects.
I appreciate the info on a sonicbrite for long term maintenance when I am done.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 17:25:35 +0000

I want to second the opinion on the sonicbrite cleaning product. I got it from dentakit.com and it works really well on my aligners. I’m really impressed with the sonic brite. It’s a lot less expensive than what invisalign tries to sell you with their crystals and I never have white buildup on my aligner trays anymore — my aligners stay much cleaner. Plus they give you a good sonic bath with it. I didn’t like using efferdent, it made my tray taste funny. The sonicbrite doesn’t have any flavor or scent and I like that a lot better.

By: Jordan

Jordan — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 16:53:50 +0000

Invisalign works. Period. Here’s the deal…buy the hardest toothbrush you can get and brush the aligners with warm water each time to take them out. Sure they won’t stay perfectly clean but it’s only for two weeks. Why waste money? Save the cash for the permanent retainer you have to keep clean once you’re teeth are in their final position. And if you want, experiment with your old aligners that you will never use again. Try mouthwash, efferdent, whatever you want. If they don’t get damaged, use that product on your permanent retainer. Or maybe then you can buy the Invisalign cleaning kit. I’m only on week 4, but that’s my plan.

By: John

John — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 01:25:23 +0000

I also noticed that they changed the price of the Invisalign cleaning system and now there’s just a tub, nothing with agitation. It’s still freaking expensive at $75.

I found Sonicbrite online. It’s a powder just like the “crystals” that Invisalign sells and it works just as well. I’ve been using it for a while and it isn’t dulling my trays at all. For 40 bucks you also get a nice sonic cleaning device too. Refils of the powder are only 10 bucks. You can buy it online, and some websites have free shipping.