How can I recycle my Invisalign aligners?
How can I recycle my Invisalign aligners?
If you have recently finished Invisalign teeth straightening with your top Winter Park dentist, we recommend responsible disposing and recycling your plastic aligners. While we always recommend keeping at least one previous aligner during your active treatment, there is rarely a use for old aligners after your treatment. Additionally, because your aligners are technically classified as medical waste - it is important to dispose of them in the correct manner. Additionally, advanced clear aligners like Invisalign use multi-layered plastics; this is how we achieve teeth movement that is both comfortable yet flexible and strong. For this reason, they can not be recycled with traditional local recycling centers. Therefore, we recommend finding a purpose-specific aligner recycling drop-off center for your old aligners. The Ivory Dental in Winter Park offers a clear aligner recycling program for all our patients. Whether you are still completing treatment or have finished, please stop by during your next dental visit with your old aligners, and we can recycle them for you!
Can I just throw my Invisalign aligners in the trash?
Because Invisalign aligners have been classified as medical waste, they should not go into your regular trash. Additionally, we would not want the extra plastic to go into a landfill or end up in the ocean! In the case that your local waste bin is the only place you have to dispose of your aligners, we recommend thoroughly cleaning and drying them prior to disposal. Particularly, we recommend soaking them for a day, then using an old toothbrush and hand/dish soap to clean them. After rinsing and drying, you dispose of them with your regular waste if recycling is not an option. While still not optimal, another alternative is to return them to your dentist or orthodontist to be disposed of with their regular medical waste disposal. In this case, you would not need to clean your aligners prior to disposal. However, we highly recommend finding a local recycling center specific for your clear aligners, such as our dental office in Winter Park.
When it is ok to throw away my aligners?
During your active treatment, we recommend keeping your previous pair of aligners. Your aligners will become part of your daily life and thus can become lost or misplaced. The most common scenario is not bringing a dedicated case to a restaurant and temporarily placing your clear aligners on a napkin. A well-meaning waiter or waitress may accidentally throw away your clear aligners when they can’t see them in your used napkin. For this reason, we give you an additional case (on top of the included Invisalign case) so you have a dedicated place to store your backup aligner. What do we mean by “backup aligner”?
We recommend keeping your previous aligner during each stage of active treatment. This way, that “backup aligner” can be used as a retainer in case you lose your current active aligner. For example, suppose you lose aligner #4 and are not ready to move to #5. In that case, you need aligner #3 as a backup to hold your progress while your local Winter Park dentist orders replacements. Losing an aligner can delay your treatment. We advise keeping at least one previous aligner in a safe place, just in case you lose your current aligner. Replacements can be re-made for a small fee.
What happens after Invisalign treatment? Wear your retainers!
After treatment with braces or Invisalign, your teeth have been adapted to shifting throughout treatment. Shifting your teeth involves the "stretching" and "widening" of your periodontal ligament connecting your teeth to bone. As the movements induced by shifting your teeth have signaled your body to allow the periodontal ligaments to be "looser," the retainers are a key step in your treatment to stop that movement and allow them to "tighten back up." The retainer serves the purpose of not only holding the positions of your teeth but also minimizing unwanted movements as your periodontal ligament and bone are remodeled and adapted to the new positions of your teeth.
In fact, your Winter Park dentist can typically see, on X-rays, the changes in the tissue and bones around your teeth while undergoing Invisalign or braces!
If you need some help recycling your Invisalign aligners or retainers, replacing your retainer, changing to a different style, or just looking for some guidance – please give us a call or book an appointment!