Foods to Avoid With Braces and Invisalign

This time, we’re looking at foods to avoid with braces and Invisalign. In our previous post, we looked at delicious foods to eat with braces.

Unlike braces, Invisalign is removable during treatment. Consequently, you can enjoy your favorites foods after taking out the aligners.

While you are wearing braces or Invisalign, it’s essential to maintain your oral health and avoid tooth decay. So, some foods are best limited, including during Invisalign treatment.

For example, it’s always a good idea to limit sugary foods and drinks. By reserving them for occasional treats, you can maintain your oral health. Notably, the American Association of Orthodontists suggests limiting or avoiding sugar with Invisalign.

By sticking to the general rules, you can help make sure your treatment is comfortable and goes faster. In some cases, you can avoid an emergency visit to fix a loose wire if you have braces.

Soon, you’ll be ready to show off your dream smile! Then, you can enjoy any favorites you missed during treatment. So, it’s all worth the effort and pays off big time.

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Staining Foods and Drinks

While you’re wearing Invisalign or braces, you may want to avoid some staining foods and drinks. As always, it’s best to take out your aligners when you eat anything or drink something other than cool water. With braces, this isn’t possible, so it becomes more important to rinse, brush, and floss after meals.

Staining foods (not a complete list):

Tea
Beets
Curry
Coffee
Berries
Mustard
Tomatoes
Red Wine
Soy sauce
Grape juice
Balsamic Vinegar
Some food colorings

If any of these items are your favorites, you may try drinking from a straw to help minimize staining. Then, be sure to brush and rinse after enjoying them.

Hot Liquids May Warp Aligners

As noted, coffee can be a staining beverage, but it can also warp Invisalign when enjoyed hot.

Notably, Invisalign is made from thin SmartTrack material that offers a comfortable fit. Since each aligner is meant to last only a couple of weeks, they are somewhat delicate. As such, it’s necessary to avoid letting hot liquids touch aligners. Thus, when you clean them, you’ll want to use lukewarm or cool tap water.

Avoid Sugary Acidic Drinks

As noted, it’s best to limit sugary items, including these drinks:

Sodas
Acidic liquids
Flavored water
Fruit drinks
Sports drinks
Energy drinks

Also, some bottled waters can be acidic and won’t contain fluoride. So, it’s a good idea to choose fluoridated bottled water.

The Easy Way to Know Which Foods to Avoid

When you are new to orthodontic treatment, you may wonder which foods to watch out for. However, it’s easier if you consider the following categories:

Hard
Sticky
Chewy
Crunchy
Staining

Thus, if a food or drink falls into one of these categories, it could damage your braces. For example, chewy taffy will easily wrap around your braces and pull wires and brackets loose.

With Invisalign, you may enjoy such foods when you take out your aligners. After eating, be sure to brush and floss as sticky foods leave a residue, and crunchy foods can leave particles between each tooth.

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