Invisalign vs. Two Weeks of No Cleaning
As I reported previously I am attempting to debunk the need for spending $100 on the Invisalign Cleaning System. In this chapter I have done mankind a fabulous, disgusting, selfless service by not cleaning my previous set of Invisalign aligners in any way, shape, or form for two weeks. The results are not startling. They are exactly what you would expect.
The first three pictures of are of a fresh, just-out-of-the-package set of aligners. When you remove your Invisalign from the package you are advised to rinse them off before putting them in your mouth. This is because they coat the aligners with angel dust some sort of protective preservative crap. Actually I have no idea why they advise you to do it, I just do it.
If you’re into that sort of thing you can click on the full-size photo for ridiculously large versions. This will eat my bandwidth alive.
And now we come to the really gross part. If you look close you can even see my spittle! I told you this would be gross. Some people might argue that the spittle is actually causing the aligners look dirtier than they are. Some people might be right. But the money shots that follow the spittle shots will dispel any of these notions.
And these are the money shots: a comparison of a not-cleaned-for-two-weeks aligner and a fresh-out-of-the-package aligner. Guess which one is which.
So, as you can see, not cleaning your Invisalign for two weeks causes a fairly noticeable yellowing of the plastic. My hypothesis is that not cleaning your aligners for two weeks is the worst thing you could do in terms of dulling or discoloring them. Invisalign claims that using Efferdent or similar cleaning products can (not “will,” mind you) dull the surface of the aligner. I am highly skeptical that using those products will dull the surface of the aligner enough for anyone to notice in the relatively short two-week window you wear each set of aligners.
Now begins the Day of Efferdent. The dirty aligners will suffer repeated dunkings in Efferdent, and we shall see what the outcome is later on.
Enjoy my spittle.
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This explains your breath for the last two weeks.
I did a service to humanity for two weeks and all I got was this lousy comment from my boyfriend. I get no respect.
Having just had my proud, “Here are your first set of aligners” appointment, I came online to poke around and read up on this expensive cleaning system (after being handed the booklet about it.)
I’m looking forward to reading up on your extensive experimentataion!
Hi
i am getting Invisalign soon and was wondering in the very beginning, were you unable to talk? And did you have a lot of spit? And did you have your teeth reshaped?
Oh, and it’s good you write about your experiences here to show people the real thing rather than the feedback Invisalign uses on their pamphlets and stuff.
Thanks!
Hey! Found your blog while searching for methods to clean my Invisalign retainers… and got completely sidetrack! You are an interesting person, I really like what you have to say… and you’ve made me consider weaning myself off of Zoloft. But that’s a whole other comment.
My orthodontists instructions say that you should brush your retainers daily, but comparing my old bottom retainers to my brand new tops ones… I’ve come to the realization that brushing completely ruins the retainers (which is pretty obvious, if you think about it). My bottom ones are cloudy and scratched up… not a pretty sight. I’m trying a new soak called Kleenite, which is specifically for orthodontic appliances. You can get at CVS and Rite-Aid. It’s pretty effective for stains, however it doesn’t do much for general nastiness. I just use a q-tip dipped in Listerine to get the plaque and stuff out. Gentle compared to roughing them up with a toothbrush.
So you just use a soak daily to clean your retainers? With Listerine? I’ll keep an eye out for the results of your experiment!
Well, i’m sure we all appreciate your post. You should try different cleaning methods, and post your results. Then you would be serving humanity.
As far as brushing your aligners, I’ve been doing so with a mild dish detergent (Method Mandarin) and a denture brush given me by my orthodontist for the last 5 days (only had Invisalign a week) and I haven’t noticed any dulling yet. My orthodontist did tell me though not to brush with toothpaste, but to use a mild dish detergent as the toothpaste can dull and cloud the aligners. If you’re having brushing issues and using toothpaste, that may be the problem.
To add to what you have observed, I think the cleaning crystals are a good cleaner of the invisalign trays, but I think the machine is bunk. I got tired of carrying the machine with me back and forth to Asia so I did a little experiment…tried cleaning them by mixing hot water and the crystals in the covered tray and then just shook them vigorously several times over the course of 30 minutes. While they don’t come out immaculately clean, I think they come out cleaner than when I used the machine. You can buy the crystals without having to buy the machine. If Efferdent works, pls. let me know. Thanks!
the assistant at my dentists office also has invisalign and she says to just use listerine and brush them. I just switched to my 2nd set, and my 1st set still looks just fine . I mean I didn’t brush them everytime i took them off – just in the mornings. other times ijust rinse them with warm water. they’re just fine.
I’m interested in knowing the rest of the story. How did your experiment play out? Did you end up biting the bullet and buying the cleaning system. I’ve only had my trays from 1.5 weeks and I’m ready to find a better cleaning method that just brushing.
I soak mine in hydrogen peroxide and water every morning while I eat and it’s fine.
Thanks for the info! I started Invisalign this past week. I have been brushing them. I didn’t fall for the machine yet. I figured – it’s only two weeks.
Read more about me at my blog – http://strikingthepast.blogspot.com about cleaning my slate and starting my life over. Making myself over!
You have a great site!
Best of luck,
Striker
Come checkout my blog about my experience on Invisalign. Thought you may find it helpful.
if you have an electric toothbrush use that with water, works great!
Still waiting for the results my friend!
I have been wearing my first set for a week and one day and these things smell. I hope I am not the only one. I have tried using a toothbrush and toothpaste and I surely scratch them up. I am now scrubbing with water and a toothbrush. I really don’t like the whole scrubbing business for something that costs me a lot of money so I am really interested in hearing and trying the other methods. Cheers to straight teeth!
Just started with my Invisalign 3 days ago. I was surprised that they will add thingys to my teeth to hold them on and also that there is a cleaning system I should get that costs an extra $75.00. For the price, it should be included, huh? I am going to try the hydrogen peroxide idea, and will keep looking to see what options there are.
mmmmm here in the UK you are advised to clean invisalign with water and a toothbrush – nothing else.
I’ve heard of people using denture cleaning tablets but I have no idea if it could damage the aligners.
I started my invisalign about a week now. So far, I’ve been cleaning my aligner by brushing it with baking soda and toothpaste (just a little bit of toothpaste). Afterward, it doesn’t have any odor and look just like new.
I use Efferdent denture soak. It’s safe for orthodontic appliances and works great. Hardly noticed any cloudiness and by that time, I was ready to start a shiny new set.
I have had my first set and am finishing up the two weeks today. Haven’t noticed any dulling. I brush my teeth & aligners approx 4-5 times a day. Floss 2 x day at least. Cannot tolerate the strength of listerine but my invisalins love it. The toothpaste has not dulled the invisalign when brushing with my electric round head braun toothbrush and I use colgate total whitening (blue gel). I guess the thing is to clean them everytime you brush to avoid build up. Something unrelated to the cleaning of invisalin which I found interesting: Ideally, 300-400 hours should be clocked on each tray. It is critically important to instruct the patient not to move onto the next aligner unless the one before it is truly exhauted (meaning between 300-400 hours of wearing). it is reminiscent of the old wine commercial that they would sell not wine before its time. Change no aligner before its time. (I copied this from an online site: http://www.glenroe.com/news/alignerchewiesreport.pdf
Just thought that was interesting as Dr. office is not as strict. So if I come up with shorter hours for one reason or another I will just keep in extra days and delay next appt. To come up with the 300 hours. The more the better for gum/root health.
Rose
I bought the SonicBrite cleaning system that my orthodontist recommended to me. My alginers look great. And best of all, they don’t stink and they don’t taste like mouthwash anymore!I think I paid $39 and its easy.
You guys are way to picky. I simply rince mine with water every time I take them out and brush them occasionaly (maybe once or twice a week) with a tooth brush and plain water or if needed a dab of tooth paste. I’ve been wearing my aligners for about three months now and not one person has noticed that I have them in. My colleauges at work havent said a word and even my wife forgets that I have them on. I never eat anything with them in and also only drink water if they are in. No coffee, juice, etc… Easiest things in the world to care for.
I am four months away from finishing my braces treatment that cost me four thousand bucks. I had them for at least three years, if not more. I’m very dissatisfied with the results. Its just not the kind of result I see on the after pictures of the people who had them or/therefore not the result I envisioned before having the treatment. Made me reach to a conclusion that thousands of dollars of braces do not mean perfect set of teeth. so I’m thinking of getting an invisilign. please give me a concrete idea of how much you guys pay for your invisilign and for how many months? all responses are welcome.
Franz, I am going on a week with invisalign. I love them. It all depends on how bad your teeth are, what your orthodontist is offering and what your insurance coveres. Now invisalign is more expensive than braces because you are paying for the cosmetic appearance of not wearing anything. Also, when it comes to cleaning, I clean my aligners 2 times a day with cold water, toothbrush and tooth paste. Between brushings i run very cold water over them. While eating breakfast I let them soak in Listerine and I gargle with mouth wash morning and night and floss after each meal. If during the day I feel like my mouth is dry I simply pop a Listerine strip and I am good to go. I told my boyfriend to let me know if my breath ever stinks and he said that he hasnt noticed.
I say if you find a great cleaning remedy, stick to it!! I am not willing to spend a lot of money on a system and I am doing fine with how I clean mine.
Thanx for the response Michelle. I went and have my teeth re-examined a couple of days ago thinking It would be for an invisalign but the ortho advised that braces will correct all the imperfections from my last braces treatment. I said I have no problem going back to braces so he advised 18 months in Damon 3 braces (all brackets arehalf clear and half metal) and will charge me forty five hundred for the treatment.
My questions are: considering i already had braces for 4 years, is 18 more months of new braces treatment reasonable? How about the treatment’s price for forty five hundred, is it also reasonable? I just know its more than what i paid for my other treatment. If someone here knows anything about damon 3 braces what can you tell me about it? They have half clear-half metal brackets, and all metal brackets for damon 3, does the price vary or is it the same? all advise and comments welcome!!!
Franz – Have you consulted someone that does Invisalign as well? Maybe you should consider a dentist instead of an orthodontist, just to compare cost. Since you have already had extensive ortho treatment, perhaps the express Invisalign will work for you. Due to the shorter time, express could cost $2,000 or perhaps less. This will save you $$ if it is enough for the correction you need. Plus, you can keep wearing the last trays as retainers at night to keep your corrections and not have to have metal bars attached.
I’m supposed to get the imprints for my invisalign next week…. But I’ve heard orthoclear don’t get as cloudy. My friend also told me that someone she knows has invisalign and her teeth always look cloudy and yellow
. Does anyone know the differences between the two?
Have been wearing invisaline for over a year. Typically brush them with toothpaste, but HATE it. I now use efferdent and that’s it to soak them and they are actually cleaner than with i brushed them. Makes me want to consider getting dentures.
I decided to try both retainer brite and sonic brite. I bought them online at dentakit.com. OK, so I’ve been using them both for about 2 months. I found that the sonic brite got rid of the white stuff that I couldn’t brush away. At first it actually left some white stuff on my trays, but then I realized I was not following the instructions correctly and once I did it the right way, it worked great. I use the retainer brite when I travel because it’s easy with the tablets.
Between the two products my trays stay clear and don’t smell or have any gunk on them. Your mileage may vary.
I just got a set today. The hygenist recommended non abrasive (basically nonwhitening) toothpaste and cold water. She said I could use a retainer cleanser if I wanted. It’d cost $20 and last at least my term (5 months)
I am on my third tray and it’s been great. I am only doing the top teeth and told it would take 15 trays to complete. My cost is $3200 and that includes teeth whitener. I was told by my dentist that fogging of the trays is normal by the end of the two weeks. Remember they are being flexed by taking them off and putting them back on and if you grind your teeth at night they will show more fogging which is created by stress on the plastic. Also I don’t drink anything but water and clear sugar free liquids when I have them on. I also don’t smoke so I haven’t seen any discoloration. As to my method of cleaning I don’t use toothpaste directly on them but the lather still left on my toothbrush after brushing my teeth. Toothpaste is abrasive but the lather left over from brushing is not. I find that I only need to give them a little extra brushing every two or three days. Also when you go on the program, Invisalign does a computer simulation of what happens for each tray. It’s awesome to see your teeth go from their present shape to the completion in a matter of seconds. It really helps with the motivation to deal with whatever inconveniences you are personally going through to get there. Now if I can only do the same for losing weight.
Thankd for posting the images for us all to see many people have asked me what is the best way to clean a stained aligner do you have any tips?
wash your invisalign with tooth brush and tooth paste (better if a bit abrasive) and they come clean. No need o spend the xtra $$
If you have Invisalign then you should invest in a Sonicare toothbrush. Use this to brush your teeth (and set) daily and you will have no problems at all. I brush my bi-weekly set at least three times a day and my course is nearly complete with perfect results.
Hi everyone,
I am in the first 4 days of my invisaligners. So far..so good. I was to have 2 brackets but my dentist had them to go in front of 2 crowns and realized later that this was not a good idea.. Anyway, I have no buttons although on my tray there is a place for them. I am wondering if lack of buttons will negatively affect my treatment. Also, no one even told me to clean them however I have been cleaning them with toothpaste and a toothbrush everytime I take them out.
it’s amazing how well DENTURE cleaner works on the invisalign trays. even just a quick bath in the stuff. i know the brochures say NO to it, but it’s probably a way for invisalign to sell their cleaning system (which supposedly does not work). the reason listed for not using the denture cleaner is that it will make the trays cloudy. my experience is that the cleaner leaves them clear, minty and fabulous. i won’t stop using it.
I am so happy i stumbled onto this site. I am awaiting my oct 13th appt, so i can be fitted with some weirdo blue rings in between my teeth. I was told that this is normal, and is part if the interproximal reduction. (did anyone else have this?) Then on Oct 21, i go back for my aligners. I am very excited, because i have had crooked teeth my whole life and can finally afford to do something about it! Thanks for all the info on cleaning!
I love Invisalign and how it worked for me. I saw the comments on cleaning and wanted to share what I recently discovered: an appliance cleaner called Cleanse.Freshen.Go. It’s designed for aligners and comes in a towelette and spray form. (Can also be used on bleaching trays, retainers, mouthguards, more…) I’m starting to wear retainers now so I’m mainly using the spray – which smells great and keeps them crystal clear. But I wish I had known about the disposable towelettes when I needed to clean my aligners at work (or in the car). They’re really amazing. I would have worn my aligners more! ïŠ Best of all they’re reasonably priced. (www.cleansefreshengo.com)
Listen, you can go to dentakit.com and they have
like 5 different types of retainer cleaners
including the wipes that Anne talked about in that
last post. If you buy enough stuff you get free
shipping. No excuse to have dirty retainers if
you ask me with so many products to choose from.