How to Clean Your Aligners (and teeth) While Travelling: A Simple Routine

Travelling with clear aligners does not have to mean abandoning your usual oral care routine. The key is to make cleaning and storage easy enough that you will actually keep doing them while you are away.

Keep your aligners out when you eat and drink

Clear aligners should be removed before eating and before drinking anything other than plain water. Food and drinks can leave residue and contribute to staining, while sugary or acidic drinks can be harmful to teeth when trapped beneath an aligner.

This can be awkward when you are eating at a restaurant or grabbing food during a day of sightseeing. Carry a clean aligner case so you have somewhere suitable to put your trays rather than wrapping them in a napkin or leaving them loose in a bag.

After eating, brush and floss where possible before putting your aligners back in. If you cannot brush immediately, rinsing your mouth with water is a useful short-term option. Invisalign also recommends rinsing aligners in lukewarm water when you remove them.

Pack the right aligner essentials

A holiday does not need a huge toiletry bag dedicated to your teeth. A few practical items can make the routine much easier: a foldable toothbrush, floss, an aligner case and something to help with removing or seating your trays.

Sereclean's Aligner Travel Kit brings these essentials together in a compact pouch. It includes a foldable travel toothbrush, floss and floss sticks, chewies, an aligner hook remover and space for an aligner case.

Give your aligners a proper clean

Rinsing your trays is useful, but it should not be the whole cleaning routine. When you are travelling, it is tempting to do the quickest possible rinse, especially after a late dinner or long day.

At home, you may prefer to include a deeper cleaning step. The Sereclean Pod uses ultrasonic technology to clean removable dental appliances. Sereclean says the pod can be used with water alone, while a compatible cleaning tablet can be added for enhanced antibacterial cleaning. Its cleaning cycle takes five minutes.

If you are travelling for longer, planning how you will give your aligners a deeper clean can help you avoid letting your routine slide.

Be sensible about temperature and storage

Keep your aligners in their case when you are not wearing them and avoid leaving them somewhere they could be exposed to excessive heat. Invisalign advises using room-temperature water rather than very hot water, as heat can affect the aligners.

It is also worth keeping your case clean. If it has been sitting in a beach bag, gym bag or suitcase for several days, give it a clean before putting your aligners back inside.

Keep it realistic

Most importantly, make your holiday routine realistic. Remove your aligners for meals, rinse them when you take them out, clean your teeth before putting them back in where possible, and keep your essentials together. With a little preparation, looking after your aligners while travelling can become just another part of the day.