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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.
BACKGROUND: Despite the dramatic increase in the use of orthodontic clear aligners in recent years, little is known about the presence of microplastics (MP) and their impact on human health. Through a scoping review study, we hope to map out the worldwide research on this intriguing topic of MP in orthodontic clear aligners. METHODS: The eligibility of both published and unpublished articles was determined using a three-stage search strategy suggested by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The databases PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were thoroughly searched. Only publications in English language were taken into consideration for the study, which included research done worldwide during the previous 10 years to February 2025. At any stage of the selection process, disagreements between the two reviewers over whether to include an article were settled by debate and consultation with a third reviewer. The gathered data was shown using a narrative summary and a PRISMA ScR checklist. This gave an overview of the most recent data about MP in clear aligners. RESULTS: Literature search resulted in 638 articles out of which 250 duplicates were removed. Three hundred and eighty-eight articles were screened for titles and abstracts out of which full text screening of 10 studies were done, and six articles proved the presence and the role of MP in Clear Aligners. Gray literature was also included in the scoping review. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that although there is already evidence that transparent aligners release MP when in use, it is still unknown how much of a health danger they present. To solve these issues, more extensive in vivo research and the production of sustainable, safer materials and other policies are required.
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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.
Aligners do shed microplastics: Evidence is clear, clinical risk is not
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Clear aligners (the plastic trays used instead of metal braces) do release tiny plastic particles called microplastics as you wear them, according to this review of existing research. However, scientists still don't know whether these small amounts actually cause health problems, so the takeaway isn't "stop using aligners" but rather "more research is needed" to understand any real-world risk.
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.
Microplastic Release from Clear Aligners: a Clinical Study
AI summary Read the abstract
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.
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.
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