Eating and cleaningQuestion before treatment

Is it easier to keep my teeth clean with aligners or with braces?

Answered byDr Ivelina Ivanova-Koycheva, Orthodontist (MSc)Master's degrees in orthodontics in Rome and in aligner treatment in Turin, international lecturerPublished on 12 November 2026

Keeping your teeth clean with aligners and with braces takes different kinds of effort. With braces, you need to clean the tooth above and below each bracket with a full-size (standard) toothbrush, then clean the sides of the bracket and the tooth under the archwire with a small interdental brush, and use floss for the spaces between the teeth. A water flosser is an extra tool for cleaning between the teeth, which can be used with or without braces. This whole routine takes the patient more time. When you wear aligners, to clean your teeth you need to take the aligners out, clean thoroughly with a toothbrush and floss, and wash the aligners themselves with a brush and soap. Overall, this routine is quicker. Scientific studies report no difference in how often teeth decay with braces compared with aligners. Of course, this is difficult to determine, because decay depends on hygiene, and the patients studied have different levels of hygiene. So what matters is learning how to clean your orthodontic appliance perfectly, whatever type it is.

This answer is for general information. Your own case needs an examination by an orthodontist.