When you get your Invisalign, you’ll often be given a little kit from your ortho to help you on your braces journey. However, there are a few must-have Invisalign accessories that you may not know about!
While your teeth move pretty steadily with your new trays, there are a few things you need to do to keep the treatment time down. The first is to make sure that you wear your trays as much as possible. What will help with this is making sure the trays stay fresh and clean.
You’ll also want to avoid pain as much as possible. Getting your trays in and out quickly will mean less rubbing on your gums or irritating already sensitive areas. There are also a few great Invisalign accessories that help with pain, and seating the trays right. Here are our favorites for the best Invisalign accessories – including one you can get for under $2!
Aligner Tool
Getting a good aligner tool is absolutely key to making Invisalign work faster. Getting your trays fast and seating them properly will avoid pain and reduce time in your Invisalign journey.
The best Invisalign aligner tool out there is the new PUL 2-in-1. This aligner tool is excellently designed to easily help you remove and adjust your Invisalign tray. The updated version now has a built-in chewie to help seat the tray once it’s in.
These are much better than the tools your orthodontist might give you, and the best on the market at the moment. They’re easy to use and make removing trays simple and fast. Having the inbuilt chewie means once the trays are in you can bite down and wiggle your teeth around on the chewie to get them seated perfectly.
The tool fits in both the official and PUL aligner case and comes in blue, orange, or pink colors.
Chewies
The single best thing you can do to make Invisalign work faster is to use chewies. These weird little rubber grommets are designed to help you seat your trays properly. If trays don’t fit exactly where they are meant to, they don’t work as well.
We’ve chosen these extra-strange-looking ones because they have specific bite sections for each section of your teeth. Using these Invisalign chewies is simple, just chomp onto them when you put your aligners after removing them. The pressure helps the trays seat completely.
You should aim to have your trays fit as close to each tooth as possible. Using chewies is an easy shortcut to a great fit. Orthodontists also recommend using softly gnawing on a chewie once or twice a day for a few minutes. This helps reduce treatment time.
Read more – What Are Invisalign Chewies + Alternatives?
Invisalign Mints
A new product designed for clear aligners like Invisalign and SmileDirectClub are the innovative Movemints. These are a hard mint that you chew on like an Invisalign chewie, but also work as an actual mint to freshen your breath!
Movemints not only help to keep your aligners snug to your teeth but also help to relieve dry mouth from wearing aligners all day. They also let you freshen your breath and are a safe alternative to chewing gum – which you can’t chew while wearing Invisalign. These are sugar-free as they use xylitol to give a safe sweet taste.
Orthodontic Wax
Orthodontic wax is really helpful when you get a cut or chafe that you just can’t avoid irritating. This is common after a new set of trays with a sharp edge or a big bump. It works amazingly on traditional braces but is great for Invisalign too. You apply orthodontic wax to the outside of the tray.
You can even eat braces wax if you accidentally swallow it, as it’s non-toxic and made of harmless paraffin wax. Put some in can stop pain immediately!
How To Use Wax On Invisalign Trays
- With your trays in, find out where the rubbing is happening
- Dry the area on your tray you’ll attach the wax to using some tissue paper or cotton buds
- Take either a small bit of wax the size of a small pea or a full strip of the wax
- Apply the ball to the area that’s rubbing – normally at part of the tray that meets your gum
- With a strip, you can apply across the entire top of the tray
- Press the wax and flatten it into grooves in the tray so it stays
You can reapply the wax throughout the day if it falls off. You should also remove the wax when you are eating, so you don’t accidentally eat it. Apply fresh wax after eating and cleaning your teeth and aligners. You can also get completely natural beeswax orthodontic wax dots, already pre-shaped to apply.
Cleaning Spray & Crystals
Your trays can get pretty funky if left to their own devices. The clear trays can yellow – losing their opacity, as well as starting to smell bad from the bacteria and food in your mouth. Luckily there are a couple of options to easily clean your Invisalign trays that fit in with your life
The easiest way to do this on the go is to use the Invisalign cleaning spray. The official spray has two ways to use it. You should aim to clean using the spray once a day using whatever method you prefer. The spray also helps clean your Invisalign attachments if you leave it in.
How To Use Invisalign Cleaning Spray – Two Options
Option 1 – Fast Clean
- Take your trays out
- Use one half to a full pump inside each tray
- Spread the foam around with your finger to cover the entire inside of the trays
- Put the trays back in your mouth and seat them properly
- Spit out excess foam, wash your hands
This is perfect for a super quick clean without having to wait. Great when you need a quick freshen up.
Option 2 – Slow Clean
- Take your trays out and put them into your aligner case
- Completely cover the trays in the spray foam
- Let them sit for five minutes in the case
- You can rinse them out but don’t have to
- Put the trays back in your mouth and seat them properly
This is a little longer but gives the best clean. An excellent option for when you’re having lunch.
Another option for slower and more thorough cleaning are the official Invisalign cleaning crystals. These are a once-a-week option that takes 15 minutes of fully soaking your trays. A box comes with 50 sachets that will last a year.
These are absolutely excellent at turning a slightly yellowed tray back to perfectly see-through, definitely one of the best Invisalign accessories for your treatment.
Best Invisalign Accessories – Top Invisalign Aligner Cases
The case that comes with your Invisalign does a fairly good job of keeping your trays together, but there are a couple of good upgrades out there. The first is the PUL case. It comes in a nice matte gray or white. It’s a little bigger and wider so you can fit a couple of extra bits like the Pul 2-in-1 tool. It secures well with magnets.
We also love the SmileKontainer travel case. Perfect for taking to work or school or for traveling while holding all of the accessories you’ll need. It’s big enough with separate compartments for a folding travel toothbrush, a small travel-sized toothpaste, plus wax, an aligner tool, chewie, and a floss pick
Of course it has space for your Invisalign trays or your long-term aligner. It also has a good, long mirror and comes in three different choices of colors. One of our absolute favorite Invisalign accessories that will last you years after your treatment.
There’s also the Retayn Premium aligner case which some in a nice soft pink/white and has a mirror built-in to check your trays fit right. It also has a magnetic closure and can fit the PUL 2-in-1 and some wax or floss.
Emery Board / File
Sometimes your Invisalign trays will be a little sharp or dig into your gum as they’re too high. You can fix this easily with an emery board you’d normally use for filing down fingernails. You can get emery boards for under a couple of dollars that’ll do the job perfectly!
Get one that’s double-sided or a metal file that will last you years of use for both your trays and your nails. Be gentle and start filing with the rough side to take off just a little plastic. Finish up with the finer side to remove any sharp edges. Here’s a great video from an orthodontist showing you how to do it.
OrthoDots
As an alternative to traditional orthodontic wax, a new product called OrthoDots does something very similar but is specifically made for Invisalign and aligner trays. They come individually packaged and are meant to stay on longer than traditional wax.
OrthoDots are also easy to place while your mouth is wet as they are moisture-activated so your mouth being wet is a good thing. They’re also more see-through than wax.
- Simply take one out of the packaging and apply the sticky side to your aligner
- Use two fingers to press the OrthoDot onto the area where the tray rubs against your gums
- Keep pressing to make sure it holds
Thanks for reading our guide to the best Invisalign accessories available right now. We hope it’s helped. Remember to follow us on social media @bracesjourneyUS on TikTok/Instagram/Twitter/Facebook for more Braces and Invisalign tips and tricks!