Do you love to wake up each day with a hot cup of coffee? If so, you may have questions about how clear aligner treatment might affect your morning routine. Is it okay to drink coffee with Invisalign? The answer is yes! This blog post provides tips on how you can enjoy your daily pick-me-up without compromising your treatment.
Remove Your Aligners
You should never drink coffee while your aligners are in your mouth. You should remove them because:
- Coffee has a dark color. It could stain your Invisalign, causing it to lose its clear, subtle appearance.
- Hot beverages can warp your aligners. They could lose their shape and no longer be effective for straightening your teeth.
- Your coffee, along with any sugar or cream that you put in it, could slip beneath your aligners and end up trapped against your teeth for hours at a time. That would increase your risk of cavities and other dental problems.
Do Not Linger with Your Coffee
If it is your custom to pour your coffee into a thermos and take small sips throughout the day, you should change your habits. Frequently removing your aligners to enjoy your coffee could cut into your wear time. You might even fall short of the 20 – 22 hours that you should wear Invisalign each day.
Try to take your coffee at the same time that you have breakfast, and do your best to finish it within 15 – 30 minutes or so.
Brush and Rinse after You Finish
After you finish drinking your coffee, do not put your Invisalign trays back in your mouth right away. Instead, gently brush and floss your teeth. You should also thoroughly rinse both your aligners and your mouth. Your good oral hygiene habits will prevent the acid and sugar in the coffee from lingering on your teeth or getting trapped in your aligners.
Cut Back on Sugar
Do you like to dress up your coffee with cream and sugar? Or maybe you love to buy sweet drinks from your local espresso shop. While sweet coffee is certainly delicious, caution is in order, particularly during your Invisalign treatment. You do not want sugar to get trapped against your teeth and lead to decay. Try to take your coffee black or with a small serving of cream, and save sweet indulgences for special occasions.
Invisalign will not stop you from drinking coffee, but it may have an impact on how you take your favorite morning beverage. Use the above tips to enjoy your daily java without negatively affecting your teeth or your orthodontic treatment.
Meet the Practice
Family Dental Practice of Bloomfield proudly offers an array of services, including Invisalign, to our community. If you would like to learn more about what to expect while you are straightening your teeth, we would be pleased to speak with you. Contact our team at 860-263-0441.