Eating and drinking with Invisalign
Quick answer
Can I eat and drink with Invisalign aligners in?
Only plain cold water. Take your aligners out to eat and to drink anything else — tea, coffee, juice, fizzy drinks and alcohol can stain the trays and trap sugar or acid against your teeth.
Brush, or at least rinse, before putting them back in. Aim to wear them 20 to 22 hours a day, which York House Dental Practice in West Byfleet finds is the biggest factor in finishing on time.
What you need to know
Hot drinks can warp the plastic, so never drink them with aligners in. Chewing gum sticks to the trays. There is no forbidden food list once the trays are out, which is one of Invisalign’s advantages over fixed braces.
Carry a case, a travel toothbrush and a small toothpaste. Wrapping aligners in a napkin at a restaurant is the most common way they get thrown away. Clean the trays with cool water and a soft brush — not hot water or toothpaste, which can scratch them.
Regular grazing through the day makes the 22-hour target hard and increases decay risk. Grouping meals and snacks helps. For more, see does Invisalign hurt and Invisalign in West Byfleet.
Last reviewed: by Dr Kaveet Patel, Principal Dentist
