The toothbrush is your best tool for dental aligner care

The NewSmile Guide to Dental Aligner Care

August 23, 2024

Clear dental aligners offer a simple, effective, and discreet way to straighten your teeth and achieve the smile you desire. When used correctly, they can also be a cost-effective dental care solution. However, maintaining their affordability depends on how well you care for your aligners—ensuring they remain clean and in good condition. If this seems a bit daunting, don’t worry! This guide will cover all the essentials of caring for your NewSmile clear dental aligners.

Take Dental Aligners Out to Eat and Drink

Taking your clear dental aligners out to eat seems like a no-brainer. After all, it’s pretty difficult to eat anything while you have them in! However, it’s important to also remember to take them out if you’re drinking anything other than water. Colored or pigmented drinks can lead to stains on your clear dental aligners, which can be tricky to get out.

It’s also important to come prepared for the fact that you’ll have to take your aligners out during your teeth straightening regimen. Making sure to always carry something to put your dental aligners is a good idea. Beyond food and drink, however, you must leave your NewSmile set of aligners in for as much as possible. The ideal duration is 22 hours a day throughout your treatment time, including while you sleep.

(If you need something to keep your dental aligners in while eating, and something to freshen them up, make sure to check out our great aligner accessories in our shop!)

Keep Up The Brushing and Flossing

Beyond taking your align technology out for eating, you should make sure that you are keeping up regular brushing and flossing. If at home, it’s a good idea to use the time that you are brushing to soak your aligner in some sort of cleansing solution - ask your dentist for advice on this.

However, it can also be a good idea to bring a portable brush and floss kit with you wherever you go. This means that you can clean off your teeth after eating and before putting your aligner back in. This prevents you from putting your aligner back in with food particles still on your teeth -a good oral health practice in general!

Rinse And Clean Daily

The most important thing you can do to take care of your dental aligners is to make sure that you are rinsing them and cleaning them daily. Running them under warm water and using your toothbrush to gently brush the surface will remove any film or grim. This doesn’t need to be a major hassle, but keeping them clean is key to keeping them working and looking their best throughout the treatment process.

It’s important that you take extra care of your high-quality dental aligners during cleaning, however. You want to make sure that you are washing them under lukewarm water - not too hot, not too cold. You also want to never use toothpaste when cleaning your dental aligner! Toothpaste might be good for your teeth, but it can end up scratching your dental aligner.

Get Your Clear Dental Aligners Today!

As you can see, dental aligners don’t require too much of an investment to keep looking great. They’re much more convenient than traditional braces, dental implants, or surgical dental procedures, and are faster at moving teeth as well!

If you’re interested in getting Dental Aligners, it’s as easy as starting with our smile assessment, right here. When you’re ready to order, you’ll get our Impression Kit. Send that in, and we’ll show you what your new smile will look like. Then we’ll send you your new clear dental aligners - along with our complementary retainers and teeth whitening foam! Orthodontic treatment has never been easier! Also, make sure to check out our shop to check out all our dental services and treatment plans.