Invisalign treatment is a revolutionary orthodontic treatment. It provides an invisible solution for people to have their teeth aligned without needing steel or ceramic braces, which can cause embarrassment in self-conscious younger children, teens, and adults.
It is made from transparent thermoplastic, which may have you wondering, what can you drink with Invisalign?
The basic answer is that chilled and room temperature water is your best bet when wearing your Invisalign aligners. You can drink anything you usually would when you remove your aligners but cleanse your mouth before replacing your aligners.
We will examine what Invisalign teeth alignment trays are and how to care for them. Then, to address your query, we will look at your beverage selections.
What Is Invisalign?
It is the brand name of a trademarked transparent, thin aligner used in orthodontic therapy. Invisalign is composed of Align Technology’s SmartTrack, a flexible thermoplastic.
These detachable braces are less apparent than standard braces since they fit over the teeth. This technique is used to straighten teeth using a series of custom-made aligners explicitly produced for each patient.
The aligners are worn between 20 and 22 hours per day to work their magic. You take them out during meals so they don’t get damaged or stained.
How Do You Take Care of Invisalign?
Here are a few tips for taking care of your Invisalign aligners:
- The first and most important thing is not to play with them or let them lay around.
- Be careful when you take them out because they can twist or break if you rush taking them out.
- Always carry the dedicated Invisalign case with you and always put them in their case when you take them out.
- Do not eat while wearing them. Eating can break, scratch, or stain your aligners.
- Avoid foods and drinks that are highly pigmented because they can stain your teeth which in turn stains your aligners.
- As often and realistically possible, brush and floss after a meal to help keep your aligners bacteria and stain-free. Alternatively, rinse your mouth with warm water or chew a piece of sugarless gum.
- Clean your aligners by soaking them in cleaning crystals or any other methods recommended in this post.
What Can You Drink During Invisalign Treatment?
Drinking clean water is the best option. On the other hand, warm liquids like coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are your aligners’ worst nightmare and worst adversary.
Remember that Invisalign is a thermoplastic, and hot or warm liquid might cause your aligners to get damaged or warped.
There are a few occasions when you can drink while wearing your aligners, and we will get to those shortly.
Forbidden Drinks With Invisalign
All of us have both beneficial and harmful bacteria in our mouths. Unfortunately, harmful bacteria thrive on the sugars and carbs we consume.
They produce acids that cause plaque and erode our tooth enamel. Dentists advise patients to consume sugary foods and beverages in moderation.
Drinks you definitely shouldn’t drink with your Invisalign in are as follows:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Hot drinks (chai, matcha)
- Red wine
- White wine
- Orange juice
- Lemonade
- Fruit cocktails
Beverages, such as coffee, tea, and red wine, discolor the teeth and your aligner.
Acidic beverages are among the worst for general tooth and mouth health. Orange juice and white wine are two examples.
Lemonade and cocktails with fruit juice provide a double dose of acid and sugar into a single drink.
Although consuming these beverages occasionally with your Invisalign taken out is OK, they might harm your teeth if you do not maintain a healthy dental hygiene regimen.
Allowable Drinks with Invisalign
The only allowable drink while wearing Invisalign trays is water—nothing else.
While wearing braces allows you to drink more freely, it is recommended that you rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash after drinking anything other than water.
This is because the sugars and acids have more room to adhere to your teeth and braces. Harmful bacteria like this can lead to issues such as plaque or cavities. It is imperative to take out your aligners when drinking anything other than water.
As mentioned earlier, Invisalign aligners are made from transparent thermoplastic. Although your aligners feel hard to the touch, they are susceptible to the heat from hot drinks. They will warp and become misaligned, leading to your individual fit being off.
Your teeth are not under the correct force to align them correctly. You will also need to get a new set of aligners and wear your aligning trays even longer than planned. Just like coffee, tea, and red wine stain your teeth, they will also stain your aligners.
Take your aligners out, store them in their case, and enjoy your drink. Try to drink more quickly, say 15–30 minutes, instead of spending an hour on your drink.
Remember that your alignment trays should be worn between 20 and 22 hours daily to be effective.
Always rinse your mouth after drinking or eating anything. Because your aligners fit securely on your teeth, ingesting anything sweet or acidic and then quickly putting them back on is the worst thing you could do.
It will trap all the sugar and acid in your teeth, providing a feast for the harmful bacteria. Alcoholic beverages and sodas are permitted if your alignment trays are removed.
When you first start treatment, you may forget to take your aligners out and consume a soda or a glass of wine while wearing your aligners. It is not the end of the world.
However, to avoid harming the trays, you should clean your aligners and mouth as soon as possible.
Conclusion
While wearing your Invisalign aligning trays, the safest choice is to drink only water. Coffee, tea, and red wine may all discolor your teeth and your alignment trays even more so.
Sugar and acids found in white wine, orange juice, and lemonade might become trapped behind your aligners if you do not rinse after drinking.
Always rinse your mouth or wash your teeth before replacing your aligners.
You will have a gorgeous smile in no time if you follow the directions given to you by your orthodontist—make sure to follow them to the letter.
