Clear Aligners for Straightening Teeth — Meat and Milk, Yom Kippur
Question
I am undergoing orthodontic treatment using the Invisalign method: clear plastic aligners (an orthodontic appliance) that are custom-fitted to the teeth, and they are replaced once a week. The aligners cover the teeth from all sides up to the gums, but they are not sealed, and food gets inside them. According to the instructions, I am supposed to have them in 24 hours a day, including while eating.
My questions are:
1. Regarding the laws of meat and milk: Is it necessary to clean the aligners whenever switching between meat and dairy, in addition to waiting six hours after meat or rinsing and waiting before eating meat? If so, how should they be cleaned: is rinsing sufficient, or is it necessary to brush them with a toothbrush and toothpaste? Is it necessary to clean both the aligners and the teeth, or only the aligners?
2. On Yom Kippur: Is it enough to clean the aligners with a toothbrush and toothpaste, or must they be soaked or replaced with a different aligner? It is important to note that one cannot simply replace an aligner at will, but only once a week on a fixed day.
Thank you very much.
Attached File
My questions are:
1. Regarding the laws of meat and milk: Is it necessary to clean the aligners whenever switching between meat and dairy, in addition to waiting six hours after meat or rinsing and waiting before eating meat? If so, how should they be cleaned: is rinsing sufficient, or is it necessary to brush them with a toothbrush and toothpaste? Is it necessary to clean both the aligners and the teeth, or only the aligners?
2. On Yom Kippur: Is it enough to clean the aligners with a toothbrush and toothpaste, or must they be soaked or replaced with a different aligner? It is important to note that one cannot simply replace an aligner at will, but only once a week on a fixed day.
Thank you very much.
Answer
Greetings and blessings
1. It is obligatory to clean the aligners between meat and milk, with water and soap or with water and toothpaste.
2. It is sufficient to clean them well so that no food residue remains.
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