Do Dental Pods Really Work? Comparing Different Aligner Cleaning Methods (2026) - Dr. Jack Pinnar-Smith

Keeping your mouth clean is important, especially if you wear aligners or other kinds of orthodontic appliances. Aligners can be more difficult to clean, meaning that buildup can accumulate quickly if they are not cared for properly. This buildup can contribute to oral hygiene issues such as bad breath, plaque accumulation, and gum irritation.

People clean their aligners in many different ways, and it is still being explored which approaches work best as part of a regular care routine. A common question among aligner patients is: "Do Dental Pods really work in keeping aligners clean?". To explore this further, we conducted a detailed comparison of five different aligner cleaning techniques. A poster of the study can be found a here but a short summary can be read below:

Aim of the Study: Our research aimed to compare how five different cleaning methods act on oral fungus present on orthodontic aligners.

Methods: We introduced oral fungus onto 120 orthodontic aligners. These aligners underwent various cleaning treatments, such as rinsing with water, manual brushing, using cleansing tablets, and cleaning with both a generic ultrasonic cleaner and the Dental Pod. The presence of oral fungus after each cleaning method was then recorded.

Findings: The study observed differences between the cleaning methods tested, with ultrasonic cleaning approaches showing notable results compared to manual methods. Similar trends have been observed in other studies conducted in academic settings. These findings suggest that ultrasonic cleaning can play a valuable role as part of an aligner care routine.