You get the Invisalign to teeth look beautiful while wearing the aligners. But, when you get the attachments or buttons, you get worried and ask, do Invisalign attachments or button stain?
Invisalign attachments or buttons may get stained because of food habits or poor tooth-cleaning techniques. It makes the attachment noticeable and sometimes becomes bad for dental health. However, it’s so common and you can prevent it if you can keep the attachment clean all time and follow a good diet.
But, how to whiten attachments or teeth that have already turned yellow? How to stop it from happening?
Let’s know everything about staining around Invisalign attachments.
You may get attachments and buttons in the Invisalign treatment. Attachments are tooth-colored materials. The orthodontist usually uses dental composite for that.
Dental composite is stable and doesn’t get discolored easily. But, an attachment may get stained sometimes, because it’s a little higher than the tooth surface.
So, foods and plaque may stick around the attachment.
On the other hand, buttons are made of metal usually. They are used to hold the rubber bands in place.
Since they create irregular surfaces on the teeth, they may also accumulate food debris and plaque and get stained.
However, staining of attachments or buttons isn’t very common, since they remain on your teeth for a short period.
But, the causes which may result in staining may affect your oral health later and make the situation worse. So, be aware of it. Know the causes and prevent them as soon as possible.
Invisalign attachments or buttons may get stained for the following causes:
Acidic beverages and foods
If you take acidic drinks frequently such as soft drinks, soda, coffee, black tea, sports drinks, red wine, or darker beverages it’ll stain the attachments or buttons over time.
If you take citrus fruit regularly with Invisalign, you can do the same. These drinks make a chemical reaction with the attachments and change the colors.
The surface of the components also gets rough as well. As a result, foods and drinks get stuck to them more.
Drinking beverages while wearing aligners
Sometimes you may drink acidic, soft, or sports drinks while wearing the Invisalign trays in your mouth.
The beverage gets trapped between the teeth and aligners easily. You may think that you have drunk it completely.
But, a thin layer of liquid covers your teeth that you may not realize. Normally, our saliva acts with the liquid and washes it away.
The Remaining part can be neutralized by the saliva and teeth. But, when you take the beverage with the trays inside your mouth, saliva can’t perform its cleansing and neutralizing effect.
Therefore, the Invisalign attachment and enamel of your teeth get damaged, and over time you have stained Invisalign attachments, buttons, and teeth.
Sticky and sugary foods
Cleaning teeth completely with Invisalign attachments, especially with buttons is a little bit hard. So, sticky and surgery foods can easily get stuck to the margin of these components and stay there for a long time. Gradually, the food debris makes the attachment turn yellow or brown.
Failing to clean teeth properly
As you need more effort to clean teeth with the attachments and button, you may fail to remove all food particles and plaques completely. This will lead to more plaque build-up and staining.
This will also produce a foul smell from Invisalign.
Dietary habit
Sometimes, food habits can cause staining. As the Invisalign attachments are tooth colors, those who take curry containing turmeric or certain spices may have the staining over time.
Bad habits
Taking hard drinks or smoking can easily cause staining around Invisalign attachments as well as teeth.
Know more about Invisalign staining.
Invisalign attachments or buttons don’t stain or cause any type of damage to your teeth themselves.
But, the fact is that you may have stained teeth after the removal of the attachments or buttons due to other causes such as drinking acidic beverages and foods, poor oral hygiene, or using tooth whitening products that aren’t safe to use with Invisalign attachments.
If you don’t clean your teeth properly and regularly while wearing these, it will accumulate more plaque, tartar, and food debris around the attachments or buttons and stain your teeth.
Taking acidic and sugary foods and drinks too often is a common cause of tooth staining.
If you use strong tooth whitening agents for a long time, it will whiten your exposed portion of teeth only.
So, when the attachments and buttons are removed, you have an uneven color of your teeth.
How to whiten Invisalign attachments?
If any of your attachment has been stained, consult with your orthodontist. If dislocation of attachment occurs due to surface staining, the orthodontist will simply polish the surface of the attachment to remove the staining.
He may use different whitening products to make them brighter. But, can you remove Invisalign attachments stains at home?
You can use teeth whitening products that are safe to use with Invisalign such as tooth whitening toothpaste.
This can remove minor surface stains from the Invisalign attachments and the teeth. But, buy that product that has an ADA seal on it.
However, when the straining occurs in the deeper layer of the attachment of the composite, polishing or using whitening products don’t help remove that.
Trying to remove that staining deep within the attachment in the dentist’s office will alter the shape and structure of it.
So, it won’t function properly. I think it’s better to get a new attachment rather than trying to remove that deeper stain.
But, replacing the attachment only because of the staining may not be a good idea. You have to spend more money and time on it.
So, try to keep your patience and wait until the time when the attachments are removed. That’s why you should follow all the preventive measures to prevent staining.
Metal or plastic buttons used for rubber bands may not get stained easily as they aren’t used for a longer duration like the attachments. However, you may have staining around the buttons sometimes. The same solution will work for this condition as it does for the attachments.
Surface staining can be removed by applying tooth whitening agents at home or polishing in the dentist’s office.
Deeper tooth staining can be removed only after the removal of the Invisalign buttons.
If you try to remove the deeper staining with whitening agents or in-office bleaching early with the button on teeth, you will end up having uneven teeth color, because only the exposed surface of the teeth will be whitened.
But, you can remove all of the tooth stainings after the end of the Invisalign treatment.
You just need to visit your dentist to perform in-office bleaching. Sometimes home whitening agents can be helpful as well.
How do you clean Invisalign attachments and prevent staining?
You can clean the Invisalign attachment by following the methods.
1. Clean the Invisalign trays regularly.
You must clean the aligners regularly. Without it, aligners can be responsible to make the attachments or buttons unhygienic and cause more plaque build-up and staining.
You can simply soak the trays in lukewarm water for 15 to 30 min. Brushing the trays with liquid soap in cold water is also a good idea.
But, learn the proper technique of cleaning the Invisalign tray to prevent any damage.
Get Invisalign cleaner to clean it perfectly from time to time. Invisalign cleaning crystal is one of the best products.
2. Brush your teeth regularly.
You must brush your teeth regularly to prevent the stain and plaque to build up around the attachments or buttons.
- Brush teeth 2-3 times a day
- Use gentle pressure
- Take 2 minutes to clean teeth thoroughly
- Use a soft bristle toothbrush
A hard bristle toothbrush can damage the attachments, so get a soft bristle toothbrush and use gentle pressure.
3. Floss teeth every day.
You should floss your teeth at least once a day. Just be careful of the area where you have the attachment so that they don’t come off. Remove food debris and plaque from the margin of your gums gently.
Here are some tips to stop Invisalign attachment staining.
1. Stay away from acidic foods and drinks.
While wearing Invisalign and the attachments, try to avoid darker beverages or acidic drinks and foods to stop the staining.
2. Use a straw while drinking.
You can keep a few straws with you while wearing Invisalign. The straw will not allow the drinks to come in contact with the teeth.
Moreover, You can’t remove the trays to drink water or anything from time to time. This will delay the treatment and make the treatment less effective. So, a straw can also be helpful for this purpose.
To prevent staining from the beverage, the positioning of the straw while drinking is also very important.
You have to find a way by which the liquid can’t make any contact with your teeth. The drink should pass most of your teeth and fall near your throat.
If you aren’t comfortable doing so, don’t use the technique. Though you use the technique perfectly, avoid drinking acidic and sugary drinks.
Even if you drink with a straw, a sip of liquid may come in contact with your teeth and stay there for a long time and do damage.
Keeping the liquid separate in the different portions of your mouth is very difficult.
So, try to avoid taking drinks frequently as well while wearing Invisalign with attachments or buttons.
3. Rinse your mouth after drinking and eating.
You must rinse your mouth well every time you eat or drink something while wearing Invisalign and the attachments.
Even if you use a straw to drink something, rinse your mouth nicely after that. If you eat outside of your main meals, you must rinse your mouth after that.
This can easily remove the food particles from teeth and attachments. However, try to avoid taking those extra snacks while wearing those components.
4. Avoid sticky and surgery foods.
Sticky and sugary foods adhere to the margin of the attachment and buttons easily. You can’t clean them thoroughly while wearing them.
So, it’s better to stay away from these types of foods such as chocolate, candy, caramel, and others.
Even, if you eat it one day, clean it completely by rinsing your mouth and brushing your teeth.
Moreover, if you are so concerned about that, take less amount of turmeric or foods that can turn it yellow or brown.
5. Brush and floss your teeth regularly.
During Invisalign treatment, you can remove the aligners when you eat and clean your teeth. So, you must clean your teeth before putting the Invisalign back in your mouth.
Maintain a tooth cleaning schedule. Brush and floss your teeth thoroughly without hurting the attachments. Brush your teeth 2-3 times and floss at least once a day.
6. Quit bad habits.
You must quit smoking and taking alcohol to get rid of the stains. They also cause life-threatening complications. So, just give it up.
7. Clean the aligner trays every day.
You must clean the aligner tray every day using the method we have discussed above. Failing to do that will make a favorable condition for that attachment to create more stains and accumulate plaque.
Takeaways
Staining around Invisalign attachments or buttons can occur due to dietary habits or not maintaining oral hygiene. Staining makes you look ugly and turns the attachment noticeable. It can also make the situation worse if it starts damaging the teeth and gums. You need to follow all the instructions of your orthodontist to prevent it.
