Invisalign® is a wonderful alternative to traditional braces. No metal wire, no difficulty brushing or flossing, and little to no food restrictions. You no longer have to look like a teenager to get a beautiful smile.
While you may have missed out on braces during middle school or high school, that doesn’t mean you have to live the rest of your life with less-than-straight teeth. Invisalign® allows you to straighten your smile without anybody even noticing.
In today’s blog post, we are going to discuss some Invisalign® eating rules. While it is true that no food is off-limits, there are some rules you should follow to get the best results from Invisalign®. It’s a great choice for adult teeth-straightening and is even covered under most insurance plans. Nobody wants a mouth full of metal or a list full of food restrictions, and now with Invisalign®, you don’t have to.
Contact our outstanding New Jersey dentists at Jersey Shore Dentists at Century Dental in Jackson, Seaview Dental in Eatontown, or Seaview Dental Stafford in Manahawkin to make an appointment to start straightening your teeth.
Limit Your Coffee
The aligners from Invisalign® do stain. While a cup or two of coffee in the morning may not leave noticeable discoloring, if you drink coffee constantly throughout the day, you may have to limit yourself while you’re wearing Invisalign®.
It’s also important to cut back on soda and red wine to ensure that your aligners stay invisible.
Keep Track of Time Spent Eating
When you’re using Invisalign®, you’ll need to wear your aligners for 22 hours per day. This leaves two hours for eating. While this seems like plenty of time to eat, especially for three meals a day, you’ll also want to consider snacking. We spend a lot more time snacking than we think and snack-time has to be deducted from your two-hour window.
Try to schedule your eating times so that you don’t accidentally go over the allotted amount of time. Invisalign® requires 22 hours of wear each day to work properly, so you may find yourself limiting your snacking to ensure the aligners get the job done.
No Gum Allowed
Unfortunately, you cannot chew gum while you are wearing your aligners. The gum will damage them. You can take your aligners out and enjoy some gum if you’d like, as long as you ensure you are wearing the aligners for 22 hours per day.
Invisalign® is a discreet alternative to traditional braces. Contact our New Jersey dentists at Century Dental to see if Invisalign® is the best option for you.
Don’t Eat While Wearing Your Aligners
While it is true that no food is actually off-limits with Invisalign®, you can’t eat with the aligners on your teeth. When you’d like to eat, you’ll have to remove the aligners.
The action of chewing, even if it is a soft food, can damage, crack, or stain your aligners. You don’t want to prolong the teeth straightening process because you accidentally damage your aligners by having a snack.
Don’t Forget to Brush and Floss
While you may be used to brushing two or three times a day, when you wear Invisalign®, you will have to brush and floss every time you take off your aligners. When you remove them to eat, you’ll need to brush and floss before replacing them so food particles don’t get trapped underneath the aligner.
Make An Appointment
If you would like to straighten your teeth without the embarrassment or hassle of traditional metal braces — try Invisalign®! The clear, plastic aligners are barely noticeable and will gently realign your teeth. If you are interested in Invisalign® to straighten your smile, speak to one of our professional New Jersey dentists. Make an appointment in Jersey Shore Dentists at Century Dental in Jackson, Seaview Dental in Eatontown, or Seaview Dental Stafford in Manahawkin today!
