When it comes to getting the best results from your Invisalign treatment, it is important to be careful about what you eat. Invisalign trays can be affected by the food and drinks that we take. This in turn reduces their effectiveness meaning we don’t get the results we desire. Here is everything you need to know about this issue.
What is Invisalign Treatment?
Invisalign treatment refers to an orthodontic process that seeks to correct misaligned teeth. Invisalign trays are made of a hard clear plastic that is designed to fit exactly over the patient’s teeth. These trays eventually push teeth into the correct alignment thus helping to correct any bite issues. Invisalign treatment is preferred over braces due to a variety of reasons. The first is that Invisalign trays are not visible and thus are aesthetically better than braces. The second reason why many people prefer Invisalign trays is the fact that they are easy to remove and reinsert. This helps with cleaning your teeth as well as cleaning the trays themselves.
When you are undergoing Invisalign treatment, there are some important things to consider when selecting what to eat or drink. Here are some foods and drinks that you should avoid.
Sticky or Chewy Food
The biggest problem with these kinds of food is that they stick on the Invisalign and can cause serious damage to the Invisalign plastic material. Even worse, sticky food is likely to be very difficult to clean out of your trays, leading to a situation where the trays may be damaged as you try to scrape the food items off the plastic.
Hard Food
Hard food items can easily damage your Invisalign trays. Even though the trays are made of especially hard plastic, hot food can weaken the structural integrity of the plastic material. When this happens, eating hard food items can lead to cracks in the trays or having them deformed by the pressure. This in turn makes them less effective as they need to be as firm as possible.
Colored Drinks
When you take a lot of wine, coffee, or any other colored drinks, there is a chance that they are going to stain your Invisalign sets. This eliminates the aesthetic appeal of your Invisalign trays as they now make your teeth look stained and dirty. When it comes to such drinks, it is recommended cutting back on the quantities that you drink so that your clear trays stay exactly that way.
When all is said, there are good reasons to avoid these foods and drinks apart from protecting your Invisalign trays. For example, hard candies are not just bad for your aligner sets but are also bad for your teeth due to the amount of sugar in them.
Dr. Alex Rubinov is an experienced dental practitioner in New York. The practice offers a range of services including teeth whitening, smile makeovers, cosmetic dentistry, and orthodontics, to name but a few. Contact the team at (718) 253-0800 for an appointment.