Invisalign in Mt. Holly is a great solution for treating poor bites and teeth misalignments. When you compare the treatment to traditional braces, it truly is night and day. Clear aligners are removeable, transparent, and they let you retain your current image. However, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to keep every single habit you had before you started using Invisalign. Certain habits should be avoided to prevent interruptions in the realignment process or your aligners from changing your appearance.

Invisalign and Your Diet

The good news is since Invisalign uses removable aligners to improve your teeth, most of your diet will remain unchanged. However, there are a few things to consider regarding your diet.

For example, your cosmetic dentist in Mt. Holly says you should avoid chewing gum while wearing your aligners. The aligners are not designed to handle the consistent bite force that comes with chewing gum, so avoid it. Additionally, certain beverages can stain your aligners if you drink them while in use. These include:

• Dark colas
• Dark teas
• Wine
• Coffee

Avoid wearing your aligners while drinking these beverages if you’d prefer to keep them as transparent as possible. If you do consume these while wearing them, be sure to soak them in clear water or rinse your mouth out with water while in use to prevent stains from settling in.

Invisalign and Oral Care

Did you know that food particles can still get in the way of orthodontic treatment even if you’re using clear aligners? While your diet doesn’t need to change, food that gets caught in between teeth can affect their ability to shift into the right positions. This will only extend the length of your treatment.

The best way to combat this is to either brush your teeth after every meal, or at the very least, rinse your mouth out to remove food particles from your smile.

Invisalign and Speech

In the beginning of your treatment, you may experience slight speech problems as your mouth adjusts. Luckily, this is not a permanent side effect of clear aligners. After a couple weeks, you won’t even notice your aligners while you’re speaking.

In the meantime, take a few minutes to practice speaking aloud to speed up this transition time as quickly as possible. This is especially important if your job entails speaking for long periods of time (i.e. teacher, motivational speaker, customer service, etc.)

Want to learn more tips about managing your habits for Invisalign in Mt. Holly? Schedule a visit with your dentist today!

About the Author

With the expertise from our Invisalign provider, Dr. Julie Ko-Kim, our practice can provide you a truly effective alternative when it comes to orthodontic care. To learn more about Invisalign treatment or about his practice, contact him at (609) 267-3230 or visit his website.