Eating With Invisalign: Dos and Don’ts

Source: Dr. Marketing

Invisalign® is a discreet way to correct misalignments, gaps, and crooked teeth that is suitable for teens and adults. This treatment offers the advantages of comfort and convenience, especially when compared to traditional braces. One of the benefits is your ability to eat whatever you want during your treatment. With that said, though, you still have to take certain precautions. So you are well aware of what’s involved when eating with Invisalign® when you walk into Stillwater Family Dental. We’ve compiled a list of dos and don’ts:

Do's

Here are some habits you should get into once you have clear aligners.

Always remove your Invisalign® before eating or drinking

• Unless you’re drinking water, you should remove your aligners whenever you eat or drink anything.
• Doing so prevents bacteria and food particles from becoming stuck inside the aligners.
• When you take them out before you eat or drink, you protect them from staining and damage.

Brush your teeth before putting your Invisalign® back on after every meal

• Every time you remove your trays to eat, brush, and floss your teeth before putting your aligners back in to avoid particles sticking between your trays and teeth.
• Ideally, always keep a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss with you.

Keep your Invisalign® clean

• You want to keep the aligners clean.
• Brush them with a non-abrasive toothpaste and soft-bristled toothbrush twice a day.
• Make sure you rinse your aligners after every meal.

Eat without limitations

• If you want to chew gum for half an hour or indulge in a caramel apple, go for it! No food is off-limits as long as you’re not wearing your aligners.
• We still, however, recommend eating a healthy diet and limiting the amount of sugar and acid to prevent cavities and enamel erosion.
• What’s even better is, unlike braces, you don’t have to cut your food into small pieces like you’re four with Invisalign®.

Don’ts



Knowing how to care for your trays is vital because there are some things you shouldn’t do regarding eating with Invisalign®.

Don’t drink hot beverages while wearing Invisalign®

• Though drinking anything other than water is off limits while wearing clear aligners, we want to stress that hot beverages are an absolute don’t.
• While anything with color can stain, the heat from these drinks can cause the aligners to become warped and lose their effectiveness.

Don’t rinse your Invisalign® with hot or warm water

• As noted above, you should rinse your aligners after meals.
• Use only cool water for rinses to prevent harming the aligners.

Don’t forget to put your Invisalign® back on after every meal

• Every day you need to wear your trays for at least 20 to 22 hours for them to work effectively.
• Taking them out to eat and drink is fine, but forgetting to put them back in could result in a delayed treatment time.

Get ready to obtain the smile of your dreams

Those tooth imperfections hinder your confidence and may cause you to miss out on certain aspects of life, like smiling and laughing. It could affect your social life and even impact whether you earn a position at a new company. With Invisalign®, you can have the smile you’ve always dreamed of and nail that interview when you walk in with confidence. You’ll be able to laugh with your friends and family and enjoy every minute of it without feeling self-conscious.

The powers of this teeth-straightening method are immense, and you can’t deny that eating with Invisalign® is simple as long as you know a few dos and don’ts. Discover if Invisalign® is for you by contacting us today for a consultation!