At Serpentine Dental Care, we recommend wearing your aligners 24 hours a day, even while eating. Keeping your aligners in during meals is crucial for achieving faster and more predictable results.
The Importance of Keeping Your Aligners In
Wearing your Invisalign aligners 24 hours a day, including during meals, ensures continuous pressure on your teeth, leading to quicker progress and more reliable outcomes. Removing your trays during meals can disrupt this process, as the pressure from biting may move your teeth in the opposite direction, slowing progress, reducing predictability, and potentially extending your treatment timeline.
While it may feel strange at first, most patients adjust to eating with their aligners in within about a week. Once you're used to it, keeping them in during meals becomes second nature.
What to Avoid When Eating with Aligners
Staining foods: Curry, turmeric, and yellow mustard can stain your trays. It’s best to enjoy these on the last day of your aligner set before switching to a new one.
Hot, sticky, or hard foods: These can potentially damage your aligners, so be cautious when consuming them.
Drinking with Invisalign
Water is the safest option when wearing aligners. For sugary or acidic drinks, remove your trays and clean your teeth and aligners afterward. Coffee is fine, but try to avoid adding sugar to it!
Tips for Success
Wear your aligners while eating: This ensures continuous pressure on your teeth.
Be mindful of staining foods: Clean your teeth and trays if you eat anything that could discolor them.
Brush after every meal: This prevents food particles and bacteria from getting trapped, keeping your mouth fresh and preventing decay.
Stay consistent: Wearing your aligners as directed will lead to faster and more predictable results.
In Conclusion
Wearing your aligners during meals improves treatment results by maintaining constant pressure on your teeth. By keeping your aligners in 24 hours a day, even while eating, you ensure steady progress and reduce the need for additional refinement trays. Just be mindful of foods that can stain your aligners, and always clean your teeth after meals.
At Serpentine Dental Care, we’re committed to helping you achieve the best results with your Invisalign treatment. Ready to start your Invisalign journey? Contact us today to learn more about optimizing your treatment.
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