Patients at
Houston Orthodontic Specialists sometimes ask things like can I drink alcohol with braces or can you drink with Invisalign? The answer varies depending on whether you have traditional braces or clear aligners. With traditional braces, they’re bonded to your teeth and they’re typically made of stainless steel or a ceramic material that resists staining, so you can drink whatever you’d
like to a certain extent. With Invisalign, you’ll have to remove your aligners (we’ll get to why shortly) before you drink anything aside from cool or room temperature water. Drinking and Teeth: The BasicsWe all have bacteria in our mouth, some of which is good and some harmful. The harmful bacteria feed off the sugar and starches you eat and drink. When they do this, they release acids that eat away at your tooth enamel and form a sticky substance called plaque. Eventually, this can lead to cavities. This is why it’s best to have drinks like soda, sweetened iced tea, certain cocktails, juice and sports drinks in moderation, whether you’re in orthodontic treatment or not. Other drinks, such as coffee, tea and red wine, may not have as much sugar as say, soda, but they can stain the teeth. Again, in order to keep your smile looking bright and fresh, you’ll also want to enjoy these in moderation. Some of the worst drinks for your teeth are actually acidic beverages. The acid in drinks, including orange juice, lemonade and white wine, can weaken the tooth enamel, making you more prone to cavities and staining. Adult beverages like mixed drinks with alcohol and fruit juice have the one-two punch of acidity and sugar. While the occasional alcoholic drink is fine, drinking them regularly, particularly if you’re not keeping up with your oral hygiene routine, can have a negative impact on your smile. What Should I Consider When Drinking With Braces?Can you drink coffee with braces? Can you drink soda with braces? What about alcohol? Like we mentioned, there are no restrictions when it comes to beverages when you have clear braces or metal braces. Drinking with braces won’t damage your bracket and wires. That being said, wearing braces does make you more susceptible to plaque build-up because there are extra nooks and crannies for plaque and bacteria to hide. This is why we usually recommend that our Houston braces patients limit their intake of sugary drinks and acidic beverages, including soda, mixed alcoholic beverages and sports drinks. Getting cavities at any point in your life is no fun, however, getting cavities while you’re in braces, could cause your treatment to go longer than it would have. Plus, teeth move most efficiently in a healthy oral environment. Beyond sugary drinks, you’ll want to be careful when drinking coffee with braces (that goes for tea, red wine, cranberry juice or anything else dark colored too). These types of beverages can stain your teeth. Since you have brackets covering portions of your teeth, when your braces come off, you could have a two-toned smile depending on how frequently you’re drinking them. What Can I Drink With Invisalign?Just like with braces, you can drink whatever you want with Invisalign but only when you’re not wearing your aligners. It’s extremely important to take your aligners out to drink anything aside from plain water. Here’s why:
How Can I Prevent Issues from Drinking with Invisalign or Braces?
Now that you’re a pro when it comes to beverages and your smile, if you’re interested in Invisalign or braces in Houston, schedule a complimentary consultation at Houston Orthodontic Specialists today! Can you drink sparkling water with your retainer in?Wear your retainers:
Keep your retainers away from pets (pets will chew on the plastic)! DO NOT wear the retainers while participating in sports or swimming. NEVER eat anything while wearing your retainers. It's OK to drink water while wearing the retainers, but remove them if you drink other beverages.
What drinks can you drink with Invisalign in?You may drink alcohol, wine, soda, juice, and all other beverages during Invisalign treatment. But like above, you must remove the aligners to consume them. The only drink you may safely consume while wearing clear aligners is water.
Can you drink flavored water while wearing Invisalign?Thus, if you are wearing your aligners, it's best to avoid or limit: Sodas. Acidic liquids. Flavored water.
Can you drink soda with a straw with Invisalign?Can You Drink Soda With Invisalign? It's a bad idea to drink soda with Invisalign — instead, take your aligners out and then drink soda with a straw. Drinking with a straw will decrease the tooth decay that results from the combination of sugar and bacteria in your mouth.
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