Clear Invisalign braces are an amazing way to make your smile radiant and your dental health superb. However, the invisible braces won't do you much good if they're yellowed by cigarette smoke, stained by coffee or tea, plagued with unsightly plaque or riddled with unsightly cracks and crevasses. These three tips will keep your smile radiant and your Invisalign braces spotless.
Keep Them Free Of Stains
Anything that will stain your teeth will stain your Invisalign braces. Remove them before eating or drinking anything but water. Alcohol and soda may be consumed in moderation, but the sugar content means that it is important that you rinse and clean your aligner as soon as possible afterward. The bacteria that cause bad breath thrive on sugar, and the sugar in the alcohol or soda that you drink will feed the bacteria trapped between the inside of the aligner and your teeth.
Keep Them Free Of Food Debris
The ideal is brushing and flossing after every meal; this is in order to remove food particles from your mouth. Food particles that remain in your mouth can become trapped under the aligner when you re-insert it, providing a very hospitable breeding ground for bacteria. Not only can this cause bad breath very quickly, it can also cause plaque to build up on the inside of the aligner that can be difficult to remove through manual brushing. Of course, it can be difficult to fit brushing and flossing into your lunchtime routine at school or at the workplace; you may not have the access or the time. If you can't brush and floss after you eat, you still have a few options available to you. Chewing sugar-free gum for twenty minutes after a meal before re-inserting the aligner can remove a great deal of leftover food residue from your mouth, and the antibacterial effects of the sugar alcohols found in sugar-free gum can cut down on plaque-forming bacteria. Another option is antibacterial mouthwash, which can also remove food particles and kill bacteria. Both of these options are much more convenient than having to rush to the bathroom to brush and floss.
Keep Them Free Of Bacteria
When you're cleaning your aligner, don't use toothpaste. Toothpaste contains abrasive minerals that can scratch the surface of the aligner, creating an inviting home for plaque-creating bacteria to hide. Brush both the outside and the inside with a soft-bristled toothbrush using an anti-bacterial soap, and then soak the aligner in an antibacterial solution for about fifteen minutes. Always use lukewarm water when brushing or soaking your aligner, as hot water will warp the plastic and cause it to not function properly. Hydrogen peroxide and denture cleaner both work well to sterilize your aligner before you put it in again to go to sleep.
For more information, talk to a professional like http://www.dentistryoffayetteville.com.
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