Marilyn- I have almost the same process (with inclusion of water pick in morn/evening).
Same as you - I think ‘what if I had been this meticulous my whole life?’ Maybe fewer cavities, crowns, root canals, etc…!
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I had not heard that you should not use tap water in a water flosser. Doing a Google search, almost all the hits that came up said tap water is fine. I found just one dental practice that specifically recommended filtered water for bacterial reasons (and a few that recommend it solely to make it easier to clean the device, by eliminating the hard water residue.) Since I brush with tap water and rinse with tap water and drink tap water, I couldn’t really understand why it was a concern, and from what I found and read, it probably isn’t. Maybe for those with periodontal disease the recommendation to patients is different. I do know it IS an issue with Neti pots and sinus rinsing.
My dentist said I could use listerine w/my water flosser. Then heard a holistic dentist say listerine and other mouthwashes of that type are bad for the ‘oral microbiome.’ 
I need a new crown and am in Invisalign retainers. My dentist said she will scan my tooth before making the crown so that the crown will be the same as my tooth was. We’ll see.
I pop my retainers into an ultrasonic cleaner every morning after a quick rinse. I put a mixture of half hydrogen peroxide and half water in the cleaner and change it about weekly. I tend to get about 1 1/2 years from each retainer and could probably go longer. My treatment came with 4 retainers.
The hygienist recommended buying the concentrate which gets diluted for Waterpik according to the recipe on the bottle. Add it to water, and good to go.
Check with your dentist first if it is OK to use in your specific circumstances!
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newpreironic- do you find the ultrasonic cleaners worth it/an improvement over regular cleaning?I was debating but since I change my trays every two weeks seemed satisfied with the blue dissolving tablets every few days and washing thoroughly at removal/insertion.
I can see that when its retainer stage something like ultrasonic could make things better…wasn’t sure how it compares to regular cleaning, though…
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Interesting, Waterpik website says not to add iodine to device. Not sure if that the same thing as ioRinse?
I don’t wear a retainer but I do use a mouth guard at night to keep from grinding. My dentist told me that to clean it, I just need to soak it during the day in water plus a few drops of vinegar. I do that every day. When I travel, for convenience I use Polydent tablets. It all seems to keep the guard clean. And it’s simple and cheap.
I’ve never her of keeping my retainers in water during the day.
Recently my dentist made me a night guard. I rotate that at night with the Invisalign retainers. I also add a little Biotene to th aterpick.
My bottom teeth were crowded. When I saw the orthodontist, he’d shave a little bit off.
I had no dea so may of us have these issues.
@Jolynne_Smyth I was told by the ortho tech that there was no need for the ultrasonic cleaner until I get to my retainers as I should be changing trays weekly. She said if I wanted, I could use one, or the Invisalign crystals mid week if it made me feel better, but regular cleaning was just fine. Again, my practice recommends using Dawn to clean, or antibacterial soap, and not toothpaste. I will keep toothpaste in my purse as I need it to brush my teeth, so for the few times I am out and about, I will brush the trays with toothpaste.
I went out to dinner last night with family and decided to not get up to brush teeth and tray. I was only 10 minutes from home, so waited until I got home.
I am more concerned by keeping my teeth clean during the treatment, so decided to get a cordless flosser. Amazon had the Waterpick Advance 31% off, and it can be used in the shower, so I went ahead and ordered it. Went fancy and ordered the blue!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GNVF7YI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1
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This is what my orthodontist suggested a few years ago when I started. I am very happy I did it!
I’ve found it to be the easiest and cheapest way to keep them clean. They stay much cleaner than my brother’s. And if you think you want one for your retainers, might as well go ahead and get one now. I found tablets annoying and not that effective and toothpaste roughs up the surface making them easier to stain. With the cleaner, I just pop them out, rinse them, drop them in the cleaner and press a button.
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Yes, toothpaste is slightly abrasive.
If anyone is considering Retainer Brite cleaning tablets, it does contain a potential allergen persulfate. Apparently that can build up in the retainer and affect people long term. The risk is quite low, but reactions can be potentially severe. My skin has reacted to normal various ingested substances like fish oil, almonds, and prescription meds. So I decided not to take the risk and use Invisalign brand cleaning tablets, even though they are more expensive. My dentist’s office was not aware of this allergen.
@snowball- yes, that’s the same waterpick I had before switching to the large corded one. I think it’s really good.
Oh wow Marilyn I did not hear about the allergic reactions to Retainer-Brite. That’s what I’ve been using! I’ll keep the ultrasonic cleaner on my ‘future purchase’ list.
Great tip about the vinegar in water, VeryHappy. Will try.
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I just had a bit of a scare. While eating, one of my top front teeth scraped against my bottom eye tooth. It felt a tad cold, so went to the mirror to look; it looked like I had chipped the bottom tooth. On closer exam, what I was seeing was the attachment on the tooth; crisis averted! 
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Invisalign is an easy way to straighten teeth for minor crowding. I’ll try to cover most of the topics/questions people mentioned in the thread. Disclaimer: I am a general dentist with 40+ years experience, but I do not do orthodontics in my office. All referral. I had Invisalign 20 years ago when it first came out. I’m planning to redo because with the new 3-D technology the results are much more precise and I need a tune-up. My case was finished with spring loaded retainers for final tweaking. I also polished my own trays every 2 weeks because of canker sores; now with 3D printing the edges are smooth.
Every patient is not always a candidate for this treatment. If you have structural issues, periodontal problems, or severe crowding you may need to go the traditional route of fixed braces. It’s very important that you see an orthodontist or general dentist who is trained and certified in Invisalign before you begin. Your first visit will include a panoramic xray, possibly a CBCT scan, impressions or scans to fabricate models. If you have short roots, poor bone quality, tilted roots, etc, you need to know before any treatment begins. If you decide to do it online only , you may end up in big trouble to the point of possibly losing teeth because the dentist or orthodontist hired by the company only looks at your impressions. I’ve had patients lose teeth, loosen teeth, lose bone. Teeth are not machined parts, and doing ortho in your 50s or older is not the same as for a teenager. Kids can do Invisalign also, but again, case dependent.
You don’t really need a jewelry cleaner. A soft toothbrush with a gel toothpaste (non-abrasive) is adequate. Just don’t scrub. You should brush them (and your teeth) after each meal if possible. Water alone won’t be enough to remove the stuff that gathers overnight. Denture cleaner tabs are made for a different type of plastic, don’t soak overnight or for hours. Waterpiks are great for everyone! @snowball I am a big fan of the waterpik brand, cord or cordless. You can use any water in it: tap, filtered, doesn’t matter.
Wearing the final retainers forever works until they don’t. You can grind through them, but then get new ones. If you see holes or cracks, have them replaced. They usually last 3-5 years, but user dependent.
Trays replaced every 4 days seems quite fast. Average is 7-14 days. Moving faster is not always best if teeth are getting too loose or are painful more than a few days.
Most insurance benefit plans have NO orthodontic coverage for adults after age 19, so prepare to pay the whole thing. In my area, I know of no adult who had coverage. Average here is about $6000, regardless of length of treatment. It also includes traditional ortho if your case can’t be completed with Invisalign alone (this does happen).
If you must get a crown during treatment, most orthos remake the trays. An adjustment on the crown is too hit or miss. Not so much if you’re not in ortho.
Re flossing and picks. The flat picks are best for people with tighter teeth that don’t like floss. The interdental brush cleaners are primarily for people who have gaps between their teeth due to recession/periodontal disease. If you use one too large and keep forcing it in, you will cause your gums to recede. Start with the smallest size and work up.
Severe crowding on the lower front teeth: the teeth can be slenderized (thinned with a rotary disc) and pushed into place, or more often, we take out one of the four front lowers to get enough room and straighten the remaining three with regular braces or Invisalign. No one will notice but you. If you have a deep overbite (when you bite together, your lower front teeth disappear), Invisalign doesn’t usually work because your case is complex.
Mouthwashes: Listerine has an alcohol content and is not recommended. Too drying and as we age, our mouths get drier naturally and with medications. ProHealth by Crest that contains fluoride is best, but honestly no one really needs one. Use a fluoride rinse like Act of Fluorigard if you want. If you are decay prone, buy CariFree toothpaste or ask your dentist.
@VeryHappy. If your mouth guard is hard acrylic, it doesn’t need to be soaked; it should be kept in the open case dry. PoliDent can damage the inside if soaked more than 20 minutes. I tell patients if they don’t use a timer, don’t do it. The appliance can get pitted.
I hope I covered the basics. If you have other questions, please ask or message me privately.
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Thank you, dentmom4!
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Definitely check your insurance. Mine is covering $3000 of my $7800 cost.