Invisalign Diet: What to Eat and Avoid During Your Journey

A healthy Invisalign diet is full of soft, nutritious foods without hard, sticky ones that could damage your aligners. It's as important as consistent wear and oral hygiene for ensuring the best possible treatment results.

An orthodontic study by Negruțiu et al. found that around 47.5% of those using orthodontic appliances had to make dietary changes. When you're prepared for them, they only feel like a small concession. Making changes to what you eat during your Invisalign aligner treatment can change how your smile looks forever.

What Foods Can You Eat During Invisalign Treatment?

Choosing the best foods during Invisalign treatment is important for success. Opt for soft foods, such as:

• Smoothies
• Fruit
• Yogurts
• Mashed potatoes

This is especially important in the early stages of treatment when you may be experiencing discomfort.

Incorporating other Invisalign-friendly foods helps you develop a balanced Invisalign diet.

Supplement your soft fruits with cooked vegetables, but make sure that they're not too hard. Cereal and oatmeal give you sustained energy. You can also choose easy-to-eat proteins, such as chicken or fish.

Foods to Avoid During Invisalign Treatment

Before you eat, you should remove your Invisalign Aligners. The only thing that is safe to eat or drink while you are wearing your aligners is water.

There are some foods to avoid during your Invisalign treatment. This list includes anything hard that could damage your teeth. The most common examples are:

• Nuts
• Hard candy
• Ice
• Pop Corn Kernels

You should also be careful about any sticky foods, as they can be harder to remove from your teeth. The most common examples include caramels and taffy. 

It is important to make sure your teeth are clean before you put your aligners back on.

What Is the 30-Minute Rule With Invisalign?

It's essential to remove your Invisalign trays before eating, but the 30-minute rule goes further. It says you should wait about 30 minutes after eating before brushing your teeth and reinserting your aligners.

Following this rule keeps your treatment on track because you need to wear the aligners consistently in order to get the best results. If you don't remember to put them back in after eating, they won't be able to move your teeth effectively.

It also helps maintain your oral health. Having them in while eating can damage the aligners. Leave them out and rinse them before putting them back in your mouth.

Other Invisalign Dietary Tips

A healthy Invisalign diet also extends to what you drink. It's important to stay hydrated, so you should stick to plain water and other sugarless drinks.

Limit dark drinks, such as:

• Cola
• Red wine
• Coffee 
• Tea

They can stain your teeth. They also tend to be high in sugar, which can harm your oral health. The National Heart Organization lists them as the top sources of added sugar in the American diet. Sodas can contain 10 ounces or more.

Maintain your aligners for proper oral hygiene. Clean and rinse them thoroughly before reinserting them after meals.

Start Invisalign Treatment Today

A healthy Invisalign diet incorporates all the nutrients you need while avoiding hard or sticky foods that can damage your aligners. It's also important to avoid dark drinks and maintain proper oral hygiene.

At Branch Street Dental, we draw on our experience to provide the best possible care for everyone who walks through our doors. We work to build relationships with patients from day one. Our goal is to remain a trusted, reliable, and respected part of the community.

Contact us to get the dental care you deserve today.