A comparative evaluation of efficacy of 4 different disinfectant solutions on clear aligner translucency: An In-Vitro study

Background: Clear thermoplastic aligners have gained popularity in orthodontics due to their aesthetic appeal and removability. However, maintaining their optical clarity during treatment remains a clinical challenge, especially when patients consume pigmented substances or use inappropriate cleaning agents. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of various commercially available cleaning solutions on the translucency of stained Invisalign aligner trays. Materials and Methods: This in vitro study included 36 Invisalign aligner samples uniformly stained by immersion in pigmented liquid food. The samples were randomly divided into four groups (n=9) and subjected to cleaning protocols using different agents: Group 1 – 0.2% Chlorhexidine (CHX), Group 2 – Listerine, Group 3 – Brite Aligner Cleansing Tablets, and Group 4 – Sodium Perborate (Densive Tablets). The cleaning regimen was standardized to 15-minute immersions, thrice weekly. Translucency was assessed using a spectrophotometer (Shimadzu, Japan), with light transmittance measured at a 365 nm wavelength, representing the baseline translucency of new trays. Spectrophotometric evaluations were performed by a blinded operator under controlled conditions. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: All groups showed a reduction in translucency compared to the original, unstained aligners. However, Brite aligner cleansing tablets preserved translucency most effectively, with a mean light transmittance of 42.39%. In contrast, CHX (29.34%), Listerine (28.24%), and Sodium Perborate (27.82%) exhibited significantly lower translucency values. Post-hoc comparisons revealed that Brite's performance was statistically superior (p = 0.000) to all other agents, with mean differences ranging from 13.04 to 14.57. No significant differences were observed between CHX, Listerine, and Sodium Perborate (p > 0.05).