You need to be careful what you eat and drink during your Invisalign treatment. You shouldn't eat anything when your trays are in your mouth; you also need to take care what you drink. Water is a safe option here, and it's a good idea to drink plenty of it during your treatment.
Why is this a good idea?
Water Doesn't Affect Your Trays
If you drink coloured drinks, like coffee, tea or juice, then the colourings in these drinks will affect your Invisalign trays. For example, coffee and tea could give them a brown tint. Given that your trays are invisible, this will simply make your teeth look brown.
While you may save some drinks for mealtimes when you take your trays out, this isn't much help for the rest of the day when you wear your braces. If you drink water when you're thirsty or want a drink break, then you can keep your trays in without changing their colour.
Water Doesn't Affect Your Teeth
If you take a risk every now and then and drink a soft drink while you're wearing your braces, then you may not see much colour change. However, anything sugary or acidic in the drink might affect your teeth.
Even if you drink a clear soda that doesn't have any colouring in it, its sugar and acid content will swill around your mouth and into your trays. The trays will hold these substances against your teeth where they could cause damage. Water won't do any harm.
Water Makes Your Braces More Comfortable
Some people find that their mouth dries out when they wear Invisalign trays. You may not produce as much saliva as normal. This can make the braces more uncomfortable to wear.
If you drink plenty of water, then you keep your mouth moist. You also stimulate saliva production, which keeps your mouth more comfortable.
Water Keeps Your Mouth Healthy
You need saliva in your mouth to keep it healthy. It washes off plaque, sugars and acids. It also removes bacteria that give you bad breath.
If your mouth isn't wet enough, then you could have problems down the line. As well as helping you produce more saliva, water also helps wash these potentially harmful substances away. If you drink it regularly, your mouth will feel fresher and will stay in good shape.
To find out more about how to manage your Invisalign braces, talk to your dentist.
