As we've seen, it's best to avoid sugary drinks and hot drinks if you're wearing Invisalign aligners. In addition, some drinks and foods can stain aligners and braces. It's also recommended to stay away from hard foods, as they can cause serious damage to the aligners. Candies that are too hard can break or chip the Invisalign, so it would need to be replaced again.
Meats that may have bones should also be avoided, as accidentally biting the bone could damage the Invisalign. Coffees, teas, and wines are high in colorants and can cause a color change on almost any surface they touch. If they stain Invisalign, they can make it look dirty and therefore make the teeth look darker than they could actually be. Sticky foods, such as candies or gum, can get between your teeth or even on the surface of your teeth.
That extra material can interfere quite a bit, so it's crucial to avoid this type of material. Fibrous meats, such as steak or chicken, can also get stuck between the teeth. Unless you have time to thoroughly floss after eating these foods, meat may get stuck and make it difficult for Invisalign to fit properly. Aligners are strong and move teeth to their new positions, carefully and methodically, one by one.
However, aligners are not designed to withstand the pressure of biting and chewing. Appliances should always be removed before eating anything, whether it's a small snack or a big meal. Otherwise, you risk breaking the aligners and interrupting treatment. One of the many benefits of having Invisalign is being able to eat whatever you want without making major dietary changes. However, chewing on ice cubes or crushing hard candies or popcorn kernels can damage your teeth, with or without Invisalign.
If you eat or drink anything other than water while Invisalign is in place, you run the risk of the aligners losing their color. Invisalign treatment gives you the time, space and separation of treatment to eat without interrupting the trays, while providing you with easier and deeper cleaning of both your teeth and your appliance. You don't have the limitations that those who use conventional orthodontic appliances have, an advantage for those who use Invisalign Teen and Invisalign for adults.
