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What To Do When Your Invisalign Stains Yellow


If you have chosen invisible braces it is not good when they stain and become very visible.

My patients sometimes ask “My Invisalign aligners have turned yellow – what can I do!?”

We have to wear the aligners for up to 22 hours a day and leave them in at night to make the teeth move and stay in position – so we need them looking sparkly and clean!

The three most common types of Invisalign stain are

  1. The aligner has stained yellow from food, drink, or chemical dyes
  2. The attachment buttons have stained 
  3. The teeth themselves have stained due to brushing, diet or another factor

If the teeth or the attachments have turned yellow do not despair – but book an appointment with your dentist soon and they can fix this for you.

If the ALIGNER itself has turned yellow then this is something you need to 

A) Fix the stain on the trays yourself at home
B) Prevent stain from happening again.

My Invisalign is Stained can I switch back to an old one or start the new one early?

Going back to a a previous tray that you have kept is not an option – and you should dispose of your Invisalign trays appropriately once they are done.

Switching back to an old tray will cause the teeth to move back.

Switching to a NEW tray because your current one can sometimes work, but only if its not too early.

You really should call your Dentists office first to check that switching a little early is not going to hurt the progress or cause the Invisalign to hurt too much.

Invisalign stain what to do when yellow

The five things that will stain your Invisalign the most are

  1. Soda (especially Coke and darker Cola)
  2. Alcoholic drinks like red wine
  3. Deep rich coloured foods like curries
  4. Smoking OR vaping
  5. Not brushing after eating fruits or drinking smoothies (e.g. with berries)
  6. Herbal teas
  7. Coffee!

What to do if your aligner STARTS to stain – Home Fixes for Stained Trays

If you eat or drink ANY of the major stainers on this list then you will need to clean your aligners. 

The best way is to use some water and non-abrasive soap (NOT TOOTHPASTE). 

Toothpaste has too many teeth cleaning grit crystals and will scratch the retainer – making it dull and likely to trap more stain.

Steps To Remove Yellow Invisalign Stain from The Aligner Tray

  1. Wash the Invisalign retainer with soap and water ASAP
  2. Rinse the Invisalign retainer with mouthwash
  3. Use a dissolving denture tablet or Invisalign cleaning crystals to soak the denture for 10 minutes (or as per instruction)
  4. Soak the tray in a white vinegar and water mix (50:50) for one hour then brush retainer again with a toothbrush (no paste)
  5. Final soak the tray with a 50 percent strength solution of hydrogen peroxide diluted with water

Is it necessary to ALWAYS ‘soak’ the aligners to prevent them from discolouring? (If they are not stained already)

No it is not necessary to soak aligners to prevent discolouring. In fact the colouring agents in some mouthwashes and soaks may actually stain the aligner.

One of the benefits of aligner braces like Invisalign is that we change the tray every few weeks. Invisalign results are permanent and can give an amazing long term outcome for your teeth.

The best thing to do is follow the following tips to PREVENT yellowing trays and look forward to changing to your next tray.

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