Your dentist may recommend Invisalign when you want to straighten your teeth. These aligners can help improve your smile and confidence, but they require consistent use.
To continue to enjoy the foods and drinks you love while using Invisalign, you should take some precautions to care for your teeth and aligners. Water is the best drink to have with Invisalign. However, you can enjoy many others if you’re careful with your aligners.
What Is Invisalign?
Invisalign is an alternative to traditional braces. It’s a thin, clear aligner that you wear almost all day—between 20 to 22 hours.
You eventually switch aligners as treatment continues. Each new set of aligners helps improve your teeth. Your teeth gradually shift into place as you wear Invisalign, helping you enjoy a straighter smile.
What Can Invisalign Help Treat?
Invisalign can treat many dental issues, helping improve your smile. Your dentist may recommend this treatment if you have:
What Benefits Does Invisalign Have Over Traditional Braces?
You may wonder if Invisalign is right for your dental needs. No treatment is right for everyone, but Invisalign has many positives.
Invisalign has several benefits over traditional braces, including appearance, ease of cleaning, and ease of removal. With Invisalign, you can keep your teeth clean, enjoy a bright smile, and protect your teeth.
Easy Cleaning
Invisalign is easy to remove, allowing you to effectively brush your teeth and avoid tooth decay. You can more easily clean the areas in your mouth that aren’t accessible with traditional braces. Research from 2017 found that removable aligners like Invisalign can reduce the number of bacteria on your teeth and gums compared to traditional braces.
Clear, Discreet Aligners
Invisalign is ideal for patients looking for hard-to-recognize aligners. Traditional braces are easily noticeable. While braces may be a good option for some, Invisalign is one alternative if you prefer a more discreet look.
Simple Removal
Traditional braces aren’t removable, making it harder to clean your teeth. Invisalign aligners can be removed whenever you need to.
What Can You Drink With Invisalign?
You must wear your Invisalign throughout the day to see an improvement in your smile. It’s important to know how to navigate food and drinks with your aligners.
To help protect your teeth and keep your Invisalign clean, you may need to avoid some beverages while your aligners are in.
Carbonated Water
You can drink carbonated water with Invisalign, but be cautious. While this drink can’t stain your teeth or aligners, it’s more acidic than regular water.
Acidic drinks can damage your teeth with time. They can erode your enamel, the protective layer of your teeth, making it easier to experience tooth decay or staining.
Coffee or Tea
Just like white t-shirts, coffee can stain teeth and Invisalign. Coffee has tannins, which cause colour compounds to stick to your teeth.
Another stain culprit is tea, which also has tannins. Some teas, like black tea, have more tannins than coffee, increasing the possibility of stains.
White Wine
Red wine can easily stain your teeth and aligners, but what about white wine? While white wine is a lighter-coloured drink, it isn’t exactly clear.
White wine can still stain your Invisalign aligners, causing stains or letting bacteria grow and causing cavities. It’s better to take your aligners out before you have a glass of wine.
Pop or Soda
It’s best not to drink pop with Invisalign—you can stain your aligners or get sugars stuck between your teeth and Invisalign. If left unaddressed, you can develop cavities.
Clear-coloured pop can seem the better option, but these drinks can still stain your aligners. Remember, if pop can stain your teeth, it can stain your aligners. If you’d like to drink pop or soda, simply remove your aligner beforehand.
Vodka, White Claws, & Beer
Beer is another beverage to avoid with Invisalign. You can cause visible stains on your aligners.
Vodka or white claws can seem different from beer because they’re a lighter colour. However, there is still a chance these drinks can still stain your aligners.
Besides staining, white claws, beer, and vodka are sugary drinks that can get trapped between your aligners and teeth, putting you at risk of tooth decay.
Bonus: Can You Vape with Invisalign?
Vaping or any smoking can stain your aligners. Nicotine is still present in many vaping products, which can stain your teeth. Depending on what’s in your vape juice, vaping may stain your aligners.
It’s not recommended to wear Invisalign and smoke.
Safe Beverages with Invisalign
The only drink completely safe to have while wearing Invisalign is water. Carbonated water won’t stain your aligners, but carbonation may damage your teeth over time.
While you shouldn’t drink other beverages while wearing Invisalign, you can always take your aligners out. Whether you’re enjoying a cup of coffee or a night out, remove your aligners before taking a sip to properly care for your aligners. Remember to thoroughly clean your teeth before putting your aligners back in.
Enjoy a Straighter Smile
Invisalign can help you enjoy straighter teeth, improving your smile. It may help you feel more confident and can protect your teeth from potential dental problems. Your dentist can provide a consultation to help you determine if Invisalign is right for your needs.
Contact us at Maplebrook Dental if you’re interested in Invisalign.
