If you are wearing Invisalign braces or just about any other kind of clear braces, then you would know by now that they gather a lot of plaque and other dental debris almost right away. For this reason, there is a need for you to regularly clean your aligners before you place them right back on. If you are not so sure about how to clean your aligners, then here is a simple run down:
Commercial Products
These products are cleansers and soaks which are specially designed to clean aligners and braces. These products actually help to get rid of harmful oral pathogens as well as get rid of any stains which may have developed on the surfaces of your braces.
If you cannot find commercial products which are designed for aligners, then you can pick out denture cleaning products which produce fizz or effervescence. These products contain oxidizing compounds which function the same way as cleansers for braces. Generic denture cleaning products are easier to find and can come in handy if you run out of cleansers for aligners and cannot get hold of your dentist.
Homemade Cleaning Solutions
If you’re on a cost-cutting procedure or if you feel like the commercial products contain too much chemicals, then you would benefit from making your own cleaning solution for your clear braces. There are a couple of formulations which you can experiment with. Here are just some of the solutions which you can attempt to make:
Diluted hydrogen peroxide solution. Since this chemical has the strength to kill bacteria and other microorganisms, you can actually integrate hydrogen peroxide into your own homemade cleaning solution. Mix one part of hydrogen peroxide and one part of water to create this solution. The only problem with this solution though is that it is not good at getting rid of tartar.
Diluted bleach solution. This might leave you with a different taste in your mouth but it can get rid of tartar for as long as you include a teaspoon of Calgon water to the solution. To make this solution, simply mix nine parts of water with one part of household bleach together with the Calgon water for each glass of the mixture.
Diluted vinegar solution. Vinegar has natural antimicrobial properties and can get rid of tartar or calcified accumulations of plaque. To make this mixture, mix a part of vinegar with a part of water.
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