Invisalign treatment — stained teeth and a discolored tray

Invisalign treatment: clear trays can stain quickly if you eat or drink the wrong things. Here is everything you need to know about discoloration.

Invisalign — tooth correction with clear aligners. So what happens if the trays or your teeth start to discolor? Invisalign therapy has many advantages over traditional treatment methods: a short treatment time, hardly any pain, and a discreet design — just to name a few. But there are still a few things to watch out for. The trays need care so they do not stain.

Invisalign trays — the problem with staining foods

Drinks or food, it does not matter — the clear design of the Invisalign tray is at risk from quite a few items. To avoid an unsightly discoloration of your aligners, a few simple rules are worth following throughout your treatment.

Where the discoloration comes from — tiny color particles settle in the plastic

There are a few foods and drinks that can stain Invisalign trays. You are on the safe side if you really only drink water while you wear the trays and brush your teeth after every meal before putting the aligners back in. Tiny particles from staining foods can ruin the look of the tray and make it far more noticeable than it should be. The color particles lodge into the plastic and are not easy to remove once they are there. So be careful with what you drink and brush diligently. Learn more about what you are allowed to drink while wearing the trays.

The foods — which colorings are dangerous for Invisalign trays

So that you know what to watch out for, what you can enjoy, and what you should avoid, we have put a list together. As a general rule: with careful cleaning, no tray should discolor. If you stay on top of cleaning your aligners, staining foods should not give you any problems.

Staining drinks — coffee, tea and sodas are risky for the aligners

While the trays are in, you should really only drink water. Water poses no risk to the tray. Things get tricky with colored drinks — especially strong stainers like coffee and black tea. But caution is needed with everything else too. Juices and sugary drinks like cola and similar sodas not only discolor the trays, they actively encourage cavities. The sugar from the drink settles inside the tray, sitting right against the tooth in the perfect environment for decay.

Staining foods — be careful with curry, berries, saffron or beetroot

With foods the situation is different. After all, you take the tray out to eat. So how can these foods discolor a tray they never touch? While you eat, residues get stuck on and between the teeth. With strongly pigmented foods, if you do not brush before putting the aligners back in, those residues can color the tray. The usual suspects are curry, blueberries, beetroot, spinach, turmeric and saffron. Always brush your teeth thoroughly after eating these before putting the tray back in.

Stained trays from smoking — what you need to know

Smoking can also threaten the clear look of the trays. Nicotine famously yellows teeth and fingers in smokers — and of course it does the same to your trays. Smoking should be avoided while you wear the aligners.

Quick fixes — what you can do about unwanted color

Getting discoloration out is not easy, and it depends on the kind of stain you are dealing with. The first thing to try is brushing the aligners with a toothbrush and a little toothpaste. If that does not help, you can try a cleaner made for removable orthodontic appliances. Never use mouthwash or denture cleaner to clean your trays — these products are harsh and harm the tray more than they help. If the stain will not come out, unfortunately there is nothing for it but to wear the discolored aligners until your next tray change.