How to Remove Stubborn Coffee and Red Wine Stains from Clear Aligners
If you do have to wear aligners then you will learn this golden rule, never eat or drink anything (other than water) when you are wearing them. But, life sometimes can get in the way, a catch up coffee, a glass of wine with the steak and before you know it, your aligners are starting to look a little worse for wear. Thankfully, while the staining on clear aligners is quite obvious it also is very easy to manage with an ultrasonic retainer cleaner as it is.
Everything you need to learn about cleaning your invisible braces.
Why Coffee and Red Wine Stain Clear Aligners
Both coffee and red wine contain tannins which is a pigment that would adhere to the trays and stain them visibly. The tannins would tend to show relatively quickly on clear aligners which causes the trays to appear yellow, brown or cloudy even after a superficial rinse.
Unfortunately for us, the aligners fit snugly onto the teeth, snaring debris into unreachable nooks and crannies away from the reach of an ordinary toothbrush. It‘s in these very places that an ultrasonic retainer cleaner can do wonders.
What Not to Do First
Before getting into the best cleaning approach, it is worth knowing what to avoid:
- Do not use hot water - can distort the plastic and alter the fit of your aligners.
- Never brush with a toothbrush that has hard bristles - you will get micro-scratches that hold onto more residue and make the aligners look dull sooner.
- No use of mouthwash - many mouthwashes have alcohol or dyes in which may stain or discolour the aligner.
- No use of toothpaste - most toothpastes will contain abrasive particles and will scratch the surface of your aligners.
- Never leave stained aligners to sit - Tannin deposits will become harder to remove the longer they sit on the surface.
The Best Way to Remove Coffee and Red Wine Stains
Step 1: Rinse Immediately
Right after you have that coffee or that glass of red wine, remove your aligners and flush them through with cool tap water. This is the most important time to do this, as you are rinsing off debris that has just settled on the surface, before it is etched in. Do not neglect this.
Step 2: Use an Ultrasonic Retainer Cleaner
This is where all the actual cleaning occurs. An ultrasonic retainer cleaner uses a very high frequency of sound wave to create millions of small vibrations in the water to help loosen and lift away any visible debris, staining or old deposits in the surface and difficult to reach regions of your aligners without any scrubbing required.
Pour into the basin and if necessary, drop in a cleaning tablet. Place the aligners in the holder and select the setting, most cycle time is between three and ten minutes. It’s very effective on tannin stains as the vibrations reach the rounded surface and edges missed by hand cleaning.
Step 3: Rinse Thoroughly After Cleaning
Once the ultrasonic retainer cleaner cycle has finished, remove your aligners and rinse with cool running water to remove any loosened deposit prior to placing them back into your mouth.
Step 4: Inspect and Repeat If Needed
Check aligners in good light. Repeat with a heavy stain. Re-treat with series if necessary (may need to do a 2nd cycle). Heavy stains may need to be done more than once, but consistent use prevents heavy build-up forming.
Cleaning Tablets, Do You Need Them?
Cleaning tablets are not always required for minimal general upkeep, but they will aid your ultrasonic retainer cleaner in combating persistent tannin discolouration. Select tablets that are suitable for clear dental appliances and read the instructions on the packet.
Unnatural dyes or harsh bleaching agents may cause obscurations to the aligner after prolonged wear. Plain cool water is always safe to use in the appliance.
How Often Should You Clean Your Aligners?
Every single time you remove your aligners for the day, rinse them out and run them through a full ultrasonic retainer cleaner cycle to keep them fresh and smelling great. Do this at least once daily, so if you love coffee, that will mean twice a day. You will find your aligners more clean on a daily basis than on an occasional basis!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the ultrasonic retainer cleaner successfully remove all coffee and wine staining? Light temporary surface staining will ease away very successfully. Very old stains deep down may not ease away, so it is better when cleaning is done daily.
Can I use the cleaning tablets everyday in my ultrasonic retainer cleaner? Always ensure to use the directions provided with the tablet and also the directions of your orthodontist or aligner supplier. Many of the cleaning tablets are designed for use everyday but again the label instructions should take priority.
How many seconds or minutes for each cycle? Usually a cycle is from three to ten minutes. Check the time on your machine, record it, and re-run if there‘s a lot of plaque or calculus.
Will my aligners get scratched or damaged from the ultrasonic retainer cleaner? No, the ultrasonic cleaner works by vibrating sound waves through a water medium, so there is no scrubbing, just sound waves. When used as directed it is very gentle.
Conclusion
Accidental staining of clear aligners with drinks like coffee or wine can be quite frustrating, but with the use of an ultrasonic retainer cleaner and normal routine can make it very much manageable. Take them out of your mouth and wash them. Every day clean your aligners with ultrasonic retainer cleaner to reduce the eye-sore buildup of debris and help prevent staining.
This article gives information about general appliance-cleaning. Please see your dentist or orthodontist for specific advice. Follow the guidelines on the appliance manufacture or cleaning-tablet packet. This product has been manufactured to assist in daily cleaning of compatible appliances and nothing more. It is not to be used for medical or dental treatment, disinfection or sterilization.