We noticed a question posed on the dental blog of a colleague, Dr. Sam Sadati of Florida: “What should I do about chewing gum stuck to my Invisalign trays?” It’s a sticky problem, and one that seems to come up regularly. Invisalign is getting to be a popular way to straighten teeth. The Invisalign website warns people not to try chewing gum with aligners in. But some people, it seems, feel like they just have to have their gum.

How to get gum off Invisalign

But if you do end up with gum on the aligners, removing it is more simple than this blog post indicates. Mineral spirits (a.k.a. turpentine or paint thinner) will clean it off slick as a whistle. Be careful! Make sure it is mineral spirits. Acetone is another cleaning chemical, and acetone will dissolve the aligner. But mineral spirits will clean off the gum very readily and will have no other effect on the aligner.

Simply wet a paper towel with the mineral spirits, and use it to wipe the aligner. Then clean the mineral spirits off the aligner with soapy water, rinse it, and put it back into your mouth.

This blog is for Atlanta cosmetic dentist Dr. Hugh Flax