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Orthodontic Clear Aligners as a Potential Source of Microplastic Exposure: Implications for Human Health and Environmental Sustainability
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If you're using clear plastic aligners to straighten your teeth (like Invisalign), this review of existing research suggests that everyday wear and tear from chewing and saliva may cause them to shed tiny plastic particles into your mouth. Scientists don't yet know how much this affects your health, but it adds to growing concerns about microplastics — tiny plastic fragments already found throughout the human body — while also raising questions about the environmental waste from millions of discarded aligners. More research is needed before we know if this is something to actually worry about.
The widespread adoption of clear aligners has transformed contemporary orthodontic practice by providing an aesthetic and comfortable alternative to conventional fixed appliances. These appliances are primarily manufactured from thermoplastic polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), polyurethane, and polycarbonate. Although aligner therapy offers numerous clinical advantages, increasing attention has been directed toward the potential release of microplastics resulting from the mechanical and chemical degradation of these materials in the oral environment. Microplastics, defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, have recently been detected in various human tissues and environmental systems, raising concerns regarding their potential biological and ecological impact. This narrative review aims to summarize current scientific evidence regarding microplastic release from orthodontic clear aligners and to discuss its potential implications for human health and environmental sustainability. A literature search was conducted using the PubMed database to identify English-language publications published between 2020 and 2026. Studies addressing aligner materials, polymer degradation mechanisms, experimental evidence of microplastic release, and the biological or environmental effects of microplastic exposure were included. Available studies indicate that orthodontic aligners may release micro- and nanoplastic particles due to mechanical wear, cyclic loading, and chemical interactions with saliva. Additionally, the increasing global use and disposal of thermoplastic aligners may contribute to environmental plastic pollution. Further interdisciplinary research is required to clarify the clinical significance of these findings and to support the development of safer and more sustainable orthodontic materials.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics Release From Clear Aligners: A Scoping Review of Current Evidence, Health Implications, and Policy Directions.
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If you're using clear aligners (like Invisalign) to straighten your teeth, this review of existing research found that these plastic trays can shed tiny plastic particles called microplastics into your mouth. Scientists don't yet know how much this actually affects your health, but the finding is prompting calls for more safety testing and the development of safer aligner materials. Bottom line: it's worth knowing about, but not a reason to panic—just a signal that more research is needed.
Microplastic Release from Clear Aligners: a Clinical Study
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Clear plastic teeth aligners, worn by millions to straighten teeth, can shed tiny plastic particles (microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics) into your saliva as you chew and wear them over time. This study is the first to measure this shedding directly in people's mouths, looking at how wear time and cleaning habits affect how much plastic breaks off. Since we don't yet fully know the health effects of swallowing these particles, this research is an important first step in understanding a possible hidden source of microplastic exposure in everyday dental care.
Microplastic Release from Clear Aligners: a Clinical Study
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Clear teeth aligners, the plastic trays used instead of metal braces, can shed tiny plastic particles into your saliva as you wear and chew with them, according to this study. Researchers found that factors like how long you wear them each day and how you clean them affect how much plastic breaks off, meaning your daily habits could influence how much of this material ends up in your mouth. Since scientists are still learning what micro- and nanoplastics do to the body long-term, this research highlights an overlooked source of exposure worth paying attention to as more people use clear aligners for orthodontic treatment.
Can Clear Aligners Release Microplastics That Impact the Patient’s Overall Health? A Systematic Review
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This systematic review investigates whether clear orthodontic aligners release microplastics during use in the mouth. The findings raise concerns about a previously overlooked source of direct microplastic exposure, since millions of people wear these plastic devices against their teeth and gums for months or years at a time.
Clear Aligners as a Prescribed Source of Unmeasured Intra-Oral Micro- and Nanoplastic Exposure: Release Mechanisms, Human Evidence, Salivary Biomonitoring and the EU Regulatory Context
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Clear plastic teeth aligners, worn nearly all day for months by kids and adults straightening their teeth, may shed tiny plastic particles and other substances into your mouth, according to this review of existing lab studies. The catch: nobody has actually measured how much of this plastic ends up in wearers' saliva or bodies yet, so scientists are calling for real-world testing (especially in children) before these devices become even more widely used. This matters because it adds to growing questions about everyday exposure to microplastics, even from sources we don't usually think of as "plastic products."
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