These days, clear aligners have gained a lot of popularity among people who want to straighten their teeth. After all, they are easy to use, remove and hide. Most people put a lot of effort into wearing their aligners for 20 to 22 hours a day, but many forget one crucial element: the aligner case. Regardless of whether you are eating, drinking, or brushing your teeth, your case is the place where your aligners spend time out of the mouth. Hence, you need to keep it clean and replace it regularly so that the case does not lead to any hygiene problems. Remember, dirty and old cases can cause bacteria build-up, bad odors, and can also harm your aligners. Thus, it is crucial to understand when to buy another case for your aligners.
Read this guide to learn more about replacing aligner cases.
Importance of Aligner Case
Your aligner case serves many functions beyond just safeguarding your aligners. It also defends against possible dangers related to them, such as food, dirt and harm. Remember, even a clean case can be contaminated if it is not regularly cleaned or changed after a while. Trapped moisture inside allows bacteria to start breeding which means that the case should not be closed quickly after the wet aligners have been put inside. Each time you put bacteria-ridden aligners in an unclean box, they will become infected again. Thus, case is a rather important but quite small part of the process of successful aligner therapy which makes it necessary for you to take care of it.
How Frequently Should You Replace the Case?
There is no definitive replacement schedule for your aligner case. Nevertheless, most dental practitioners recommend changing the aligner case every three or six months based on individual use and amount of care given to the case. If you use the case multiple times per day, put it into your bag or take it to different environments, then the case may be destroyed much sooner than 3-6 months. That being said, daily cleaning helps to prolong the lifespan of the case, although there is no plastic case that lasts forever. This is because washing, taking the case in hands and opening and closing it constantly leave tiny scratches that in future create cracks in the case, as a result of which they trap bacteria and become really hard to clean. Instead of waiting for the case to be damaged visually, it is better to change it once in a couple of months in order to be more hygienic.
How To Tell if You Need a New Case?
Here are some clear indications that your aligner case requires replacement.
- If there’s a strange smell that doesn’t go away after washing, it means that bacteria have accumulated inside the plastic case.
- Signs of wear on the case can be seen in the form of heavy scratches, cracks, non-working hinges, or the absence of the case’s ability to close tightly.
- If the lid of your case is damaged and does not close properly, it can let dust, dirt, and bacteria in.
- Discoloration of the case should also raise some concerns, especially if the case was exposed to dampness or wasn’t cleaned often.
- Moreover, if the case feels smooth, sticky, or difficult to clean, it’s time to replace it!
You shouldn’t ignore these signs because they may result in your aligners getting dirty and making it more susceptible to dental problems.
Tips to Make Your Case Last Longer
Replacing your aligner case is crucial but maintenance is equally vital to keep the case in a good condition for a few months. To clean the case, rinse it with soap and warm water daily. After washing, make sure that it is completely dry before placing the aligners back in the case. Avoid using hot water for this as excessive heat may lead to the deformation of the plastic. Also, make sure that the case is open after washing so that moisture inside the case evaporates. Do not throw the case inside a bag without caution as it can become damaged by scrapping with other items. Clean the case immediately if you see any food items, toothpaste residues or saliva inside. Following these habits will minimize the multiplication of bacteria, ensuring that the case and the aligners stay clean during the whole treatment period.