mayda Ferguson, DDS
If you have crooked teeth, chances are you’ve at least heard of ClearCorrect, the see-through aligners that allow you to discreetly straighten your teeth. Unless you tell someone that you’re wearing them, most people probably won’t even notice you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment. However, if your clear braces become stained, people will definitely notice. How can you prevent this from happening? Read on to find out.
How to Prevent Stains
When you first get ClearCorrect, your dentist will instruct you to never eat while your aligners are in. Essentially, you’ll take them out before every meal and snack. You’ll also want to remove them before drinking any beverages besides water, since they will definitely cause staining. Also, drinking hot beverages like coffee or tea will warp the plastic on the aligners and compromise your treatment.
In addition to keeping excellent track of your diet, you’ll want to brush your teeth immediately after eating and before placing them back in. If you’re in a situation where you can’t brush your teeth, then at least rinse your mouth out with a glass of water. The goal here is to minimize the amount of time that your clear braces spend in contact with stain-causing debris from food and drink.
How to Clean Stained Aligners
If your aligners do get stained, it’s not the end of the world. Since many patients will only wear their aligners for a few weeks before moving on to the next set in the series, you could simply wait until that point. If you absolutely can’t wait, here’s how to clean your clear braces.
When you take them out to eat, place them in a container with a special ClearCorrect cleaning solution, or at least lukewarm water. Do NOT use hot water because, as mentioned earlier, it could change the shape of the plastic.
ClearCorrect is an amazing way to shift your teeth into a straighter position. However, they can easily become stained if you don’t practice proper oral hygiene. Keep the tips mentioned above in mind to make sure your treatment stays unnoticeable!
About the Author
Dr. Mayda Ferguson obtained her doctorate in dentistry in 2000. Since then, she has been in private practice in Metairie, LA. She earned a Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry in the summer of 2013. Her practice, Second Line Family Dentistry, offers ClearCorrect to straighten your smile. To learn which one is right for you, contact Dr. Ferguson by calling (504) 327-2996.
