I have reason to suspect my dentist gave me a knock off instead of the real deal on my invisalign treatments. Is there some way to be certain of their authenticity? Also, are they supposed to be cleaned a certain way? If I do it differently will it matter?
Sven B. – Pennsylvania
Sven,
Let me take these questions in order.
- First, I am curious what has made you suspicious. To answer your question, yes, there is a way to tell if you’ve got the actual brand. In fact, Invisalign makes it super easy to tell. On the biting surface of the tray and you will see their trademarked name. There will also be a set of numbers and letters that indicate your patient ID number, designations for your upper or lower arch ( marked as U and L), as well as other information. These are plainly visible.
- You should have been provided with an Invisalign cleaning kit. If for some reason you weren’t, I would call your dental office and request one. If they don’t have them, don’t despair, there are ways to clean them without it. You can use regular toothpaste. I wouldn’t use anything abrasive or it could create tiny scratches on your aligners. That may lead to staining. You could also simply brush them with water and rinse them thoroughly. However, your dentist really should supply you with the cleaning kit.
- As to whether i would bad to clean them with something else, that answer really depends on what else you’re referring to. Gentle toothpaste and water are obviously OK, but I would use anything corrosive like bleach, etc.
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