A lot of folks wonder if they can eat while wearing Invisalign braces. Generally speaking, you should remove your Invisalign trays, or aligners as they are often called, before eating a meal, such as breakfast or dinner. If you’re drinking coffee, tea, and certain other drinks, it’s also best to remove the trays. If you have any questions about eating or drinking with Invisalign and live near McLean, VA, contact Dr. Ramez Saba, Dr. Kurt Rolf, or Dr. Eleni Kanasi at McLean Dentistry.
One of the key reasons so many people prefer Invisalign braces to traditional metal braces is convenience. With traditional braces, you and your loved ones may have to give up some favorite foods.
Foods to avoid with traditional metal braces include:
- Hard or sticky candies
- Corn chips
- Gum
- Pretzels
If you consume the above foods and candy, your braces could get gunked up or even damaged.
Eating Throughout Invisalign Treatment
Invisalign aligners are generally easy to remove, especially if you’ve had a bit of practice. That said, you want to wear your aligners as often as possible. Typically, it’s recommended that you wear the trays for 22 hours or more per day. Still, you can and typically should remove the trays before eating or drinking.
Invisalign aligners are not designed to withstand the considerable forces exerted while chewing. Hard foods especially could damage your trays, but soft foods, say fruit or cooked vegetables, could also damage them.
Taking out your Invisalign aligners for every meal may seem like a pain. That said, cleaning the gunk out from traditional braces is often far more of a hassle. If gum or food bits get jammed in your braces, you may spend a long time cleaning everything out.
It’s smart to talk with an oral health expert about your diet, habits, and Invisalign. Live in the McLean, Va area? Chat with Dr. Saba, Dr. Rolf, or Dr. Kanasi.
How Drinks Can Impact Your Invisalign Trays
If you’re drinking anything besides water, you should typically remove your Invisalign aligners. While water won’t damage or stain your trays, many other drinks could.
Drinks could also stain your Invisalign aligners and potentially make them rather unsightly. Coffee, sodas, darker fruit juices, wine, and many other drinks can stain your aligners. Some drinks, including many sodas, are acidic and could damage both your aligners and your teeth.
Hot drinks are especially worrisome as far as Invisalign trays are concerned. With hot liquids, say hot chocolate, tea, or coffee, just a few sips can cause damage.
Residents of the greater McLean, VA interested in Invisalign should swing by McLean Dentistry to speak with Dr. Saba, Dr. Rolf, or Dr. Kanasi to find out if these invisible aligners are right for you. Call (703) 356-3035 to schedule an appointment.