Caring for Your Invisalign® Aligners & Vivera® Retainers

Invisalign® aligners and Vivera® retainers are made from similar clear materials and are cared for the same way. Clean appliances stay invisible; neglected ones turn cloudy, yellow, and odorous — and can trap sugars and plaque against your teeth. A simple daily routine prevents all of it.

Daily cleaning

• Rinse with cool or lukewarm water every time you take the appliance out.
• Brush it gently morning and night with a soft toothbrush and a small amount of clear, mild soap. Rinse thoroughly.
• Do not use toothpaste on the appliance. Toothpaste is abrasive — it dulls the clear plastic and leaves micro-scratches where bacteria and stain collect.
• For a deeper clean a few times a week, soak in appliance cleaning crystals or a cleaner made for clear retainers, following the product directions.
• Avoid soaking in mouthwash (dyes and alcohol can tint and degrade the plastic) and avoid harsh cleaners not made for clear appliances.
• Brush and floss your teeth before putting the appliance back in — anything left on your teeth sits pressed against them under the plastic.

Heat is the enemy

• Never rinse or soak in hot water, and never run appliances through the dishwasher — heat permanently warps the fit.
• Do not leave them in a hot car or in direct sunlight.

Eating & drinking

• Remove the appliance for everything except plain, cool water.
• Coffee, tea, and red wine stain the plastic quickly; sugary drinks pool underneath it and feed decay.
• After meals, ideally brush — or at minimum rinse well — before reinserting.

Wear time

• Invisalign aligners: wear 20–22 hours per day and change to the next tray on the schedule we gave you. If an aligner is not seating fully, use your seating aids (“chewies”) as instructed.
• Vivera retainers: wear as we directed — for most patients that means every night, indefinitely. Teeth shift throughout life; nightly retainer wear is what maintains your result.

Storage & travel

• When it is not in your mouth, it lives in its case. Napkins are how aligners get thrown away, and dogs are drawn to the scent of worn plastic.
• Keep your previous aligner set as a backup, and pack both current and previous sets when you travel.

If one is lost or cracked

Call us before doing anything else. With Invisalign, we may have you step back to your previous tray or move to the next one early — do not skip ahead on your own, and do not go without an aligner for days, or teeth begin drifting. A cracked appliance with a sharp edge should not be worn; a small crack that still seats fully is usually safe until we advise next steps.

Questions or concerns? We are here to help. Call 512-472-5633 or email info@koladentistry.com.

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