This is a common question we’re asked by dentists: How do I clean my clear aligners? In this video, we explain how dentists should think about this in practice.

So you’ve got your aligners and you’re wondering how do I clean these aligners, how do I keep on top of them? So really the cleaning protocol is quite straightforward. So you want to use a soft bristled toothbrush with soapy water or you can use the foamed toothpaste if you’ve finished brushing your teeth and you’ve still got the foam on your toothbrush, you can use that to just gently work away any build up or any nastiness in the aligner. Give it a rinse and then that’s all good to go. That’s ready to wear again. Now, one thing that we have to be very careful on is that you use lukewarm water. Do not use hot or boiling water as this will deform the shape of the aligner and render it useless.

So as long as you’re using that lukewarm, soapy water, soft brush, rinse it off, good to go. Then what we do recommend is minimum once a week, some people prefer to do this more, is you can use a more aggressive effervescent tablet, kill the nasty bugs there. They’re more of a disinfecting kind of process. So that’s the regime we’d recommend on a week.

Obviously every time you’re wearing it and taking it out, give it a clean as often as you can, often while you’re brushing your teeth, which is quite convenient.

And then once a week minimum, just give it a deep clean with an effervescent tablet.