Getting Bad Breath Under Control During Your Invisalign Treatment

During your Invisalign treatment, you will be wearing each set of aligners for around two weeks. This gives plenty of time for your aligners to be filled with bacteria. In this post, our Southwood Dental Studio - Fanshawe dentists offer some tips on how to properly care for your aligners while managing oral hygiene.

It is important that you properly care for your Invisalign clear aligners, otherwise, you may experience difficulties like foul breath, discolouration of the plastic aligners, and even concerns with your general dental health.

If you find that your aligners are starting to smell terribly then it may be an indication that you need to clean your mouth and teeth better after eating. The majority of the time, bad breath during Invisalign treatment is caused by not taking proper care of your aligners. When properly cared for, your teeth and breath should be fresh and clean.

Here are some recommendations that might help you get the most out of your orthodontic treatment while also preventing unpleasant bad breath from developing.

Don't Forget To Brush and Floss

It is important to brush and floss to clean your mouth after eating prior to putting your aligners back in. Otherwise, food and bacteria will be trapped in your aligners which can potentially cause problems with foul breath and potentially lead to oral health problems.

Mouthwash Can Help Keep Your Mouth Clean

It is recommended that after every meal and after cleaning your aligners and brushing your teeth, you use mouthwash to give your mouth an extra injection of minty freshness. Even mouthwashes designed expressly for dry mouth are available, so you may be able to find a solution to all of your Invisalign-related problems.

It's possible that you're following these recommendations but still experience dry mouth or foul breath because of an underlying reason. Try contacting your Fanshawe Park Road dental office in London for a consultation and to see if this is indeed the case.

Only Drink Water While Wearing Aligners

While you can drink water while wearing your aligners, it is generally recommended that you remove them before consuming anything else. Caffeinated beverages, like coffee or certain teas, can distort plastic, while dark liquids, such as red wine or cola, can discolour transparent aligners.

In fact, an excellent way to address Invisalign's dry mouth is to maintain a good flow of saliva. Saliva acts as the mouth's natural cleanser, which is all the more reason that drinking a healthy amount of water can help alleviate bad breath. So keep drinking lots of water throughout the day, even slightly more than you would normally drink because of the need to keep that saliva flowing.

A Toothbrush and Toothpaste Are Not Made For Aligners

Take care to wash your aligners with a bar of mild anti-bacterial soap after each use. This will guarantee that they remain fresh and free of microorganisms that might be hazardous or make them smell unpleasant. Toothbrushes and toothpaste can be abrasive and create tiny scratches in your plastic aligners where bacteria can flourish, causing an unpleasant odour.

Avoid Smoking While Using Aligners

In addition to discolouring and smell, the chemicals in cigarettes can cause the aligners to become discoloured and retain part of the cigarette's scent.