Whitening Your Teeth During Clear Aligner Treatment: Timing and Tips

Straight teeth and a brighter shade make a great combination, and many patients want both. The good news is that clear aligners and teeth whitening can work together. The key is choosing the right product and, more importantly, the right moment.

Custom-fit trays are exactly what professional take-home whitening uses: a snug tray that holds a thin layer of gel against your teeth. Your aligners, or your retainers after treatment, can serve that purpose with your provider's guidance.

Attachments are small bumps of tooth-colored composite bonded to some teeth during treatment. Composite doesn't whiten. If you whiten while attachments are on, the enamel under them stays the original shade, and you may see small darker spots when they're removed. For that reason, many providers recommend doing most of your whitening at the end of treatment, once attachments are gone, or planning a final touch-up after removal.

• Use a whitening gel your dentist recommends, typically a low-concentration carbamide peroxide designed for tray use.
• Follow the wear time on the product and your provider's instructions — more is not better.
• Avoid over-the-counter strips while wearing aligners; they don't conform well around attachments and trays.
• Skip whitening toothpaste for cleaning your trays; its abrasives scratch the plastic.

Teeth can feel more sensitive when they're both moving and being whitened. If sensitivity bothers you, whiten every other day, shorten the wear time, or use a toothpaste for sensitive teeth. Tell your provider if it persists.

• You have untreated cavities, cracked teeth or exposed roots.
• Your gums are inflamed or irritated.
• You're pregnant or breastfeeding — most dentists recommend waiting.
• You have visible crowns, veneers or large fillings on front teeth; they won't change color, so plan replacements after whitening if needed.

Coffee, tea, red wine and tobacco stain teeth and trays. Taking aligners out to eat and drink, then brushing before putting them back, helps keep both your teeth and your trays bright.

Ask your Infinity Aligner certified provider to build whitening into the end of your treatment plan so your final result is straight and bright.