Will Invisalign Stain My Teeth?
People love Invisalign because it makes straightening their teeth easy. But, just like any other orthodontic treatment, Invisalign does require some extra care and maintenance. For instance, incorrectly cleaning your aligners can cause them to get stained and look dingy or yellow. And, unless you take the aligners out to eat and drink, and brush afterward, they could trap residue next to your teeth, leaving stains. Let’s talk more about how to keep your teeth white with Invisalign.
Does Invisalign Make Your Teeth Yellow?
No—Invisalign does not stain teeth.
However, teeth can become stained during any orthodontic procedure. With traditional braces, the wires and brackets could get food particles caught in them, making it difficult to keep teeth clean. This can lead to the buildup of plaque and tartar, which in turn leads to stained teeth.
Because you remove your Invisalign aligners when eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing, they make it easier to keep your mouth clean. However, if you do not keep up a regimen of brushing at least twice a day and flossing once a day, plaque can get trapped on your teeth. This can lead to stained teeth at the end of your Invisalign treatment.
In addition to properly cleaning your teeth, you must also clean your Invisalign aligners correctly. Improperly cleaned aligners can get stained and make your teeth look yellow when you wear them.
How to Keep Teeth White with Invisalign
Now that you know how your teeth might become stained during the Invisalign process, let’s talk about ways to ensure that it doesn’t happen! Here are our five best tips for making sure your teeth are still bright and pearly white when your Invisalign treatment ends.
#1: Clean Your Teeth and Aligner Every Day
We know we already mentioned it, but this step is so crucial we felt it needed repeating. The best way to keep your teeth white is by brushing and flossing every single day. Because the Invisalign aligner is fully removable, you can continue the same oral care regimen you had before you started treatment. But if you want to step up your game, brushing before you put your aligners back on is always a good idea.
And, make sure to at least rinse out your Invisalign aligners every time you remove them to eat, drink, or brush your teeth. We also highly recommend cleaning your aligners at least once a day, but preferably after each meal, using Invisalign’s specially-designed cleaning products.
#2: Avoid Staining Foods and Drinks
Foods with high concentrations of colorants like coffee, red wine, juices, and berries, can easily stain teeth. Try to reduce your intake of these types of foods, and if you do eat them, make sure to drink water afterward to help keep stains from setting. You should also avoid using any tobacco or nicotine products—including vapes—because they can stain both your teeth and your aligners.
#3: See Your Dentist for Professional Cleanings
A professional dental cleaning twice a year at your dentist’s office is the best way to keep stains away. While daily brushing and flossing is very important, it can sometimes be hard to reach all the areas of your mouth. The dentist can reach and clean those hard-to-see areas and has more powerful tools to remove plaque and stains.
Free Invisalign Consultation in Peoria, Arizona
If you have more questions about how to keep your teeth white with Invisalign, let us know! Keeping up with your daily oral health care regimen and regularly cleaning of your aligners should do the job, but an extra cleaning by one of our hygienists can always help. If you’re interested in straightening your teeth with Invisalign, call Sunrise Dental today at 623-487-4870 to schedule a free consultation.
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