Are There Any Diet Restrictions With Invisalign?
Invisalign is a popular technique for teeth alignment because it’s virtually invisible, but there’s another perk wearers love: the ability to eat whatever you wish, whenever you want. The advantage of this treatment is that it needs fewer adjustments to your normal routine. Diet restrictions with Invisalign don’t exist! You’ll still be able to drink and eat everything you enjoy without any limitations or worry about food sticking in wires and brackets.
Obviously, you’ll be prudent to avoid some eating habits while wearing the clear aligners to avoid compromising your treatment progress or damaging your aligners. Here’s a list of eating rules to keep in mind for Invisalign wearers:
Diet restrictions with Invisalign
1. Reduce Coffee Consumption
While some individuals get by on a cup or two of coffee for breakfast each morning, others require a steady fix of caffeine throughout the day. You’ll have to break this habit because drinking coffee all day could easily and quickly discolor your aligners. The only beverage you should take while wearing the aligners is water.
2. Meal Planning
While you don’t have to know beforehand what you’ll be eating for each meal, you should know the time you’ll be eating and the duration. Remember, you need to wear your aligners for 20-22 hours daily. Therefore, you must track the duration in which they’re out of your mouth, so you can maintain the daily recommended 20 hours minimum.
3. Avoid Gum
Gum might seem feasible with Invisalign since the aligners are so comfortable and smooth. However, you’re seeking trouble if you adopt this habit. Beware that the sticky gum will stick to the aligners, causing damage due to the continuous chewing motion that causes your aligners to rub against each other and your teeth.
4. No Eating with Aligners In
While there are no diet restrictions with Invisalign, it’s important not to eat while wearing the aligners. Chewing food, the resulting force could stain, crack, or damage your aligners in other ways. Don’t be tempted to eat even soft food while wearing them. You’ll need to clean your aligners anyway, so if you need to eat, remove them first.
5. Keep Brushing
Be sure to floss and brush after every meal and before refitting the trays. It’s also important to note that sugary or sticky foods can cling to the teeth surfaces and encourage tooth decay. If you refit the trays without cleaning your teeth immediately, you’ll create an environment for tooth decay and cavities.
Although there are no diet restrictions with Invisalign, you must take care as recommended and brush carefully after snacks and meals.
