Although our invisible aligner system Line-M-Up™ entails cutting-edge stain resistance, there are slight chances of tooth staining that patients should avoid!
We all know just how important it is to consistently keep our teeth clean and make thorough teeth cleaning a lifelong habit, but it’s important for orthodontic patients and parents to also understand how the magnitude of teeth cleaning is increased during orthodontic treatment.
While there’s absolutely no denying just how effective Line-M-Up™ is when it comes to combating oral health problems and providing beautiful smiles, you’ll still be somewhat susceptible to potential tooth decay during these treatment processes.
Another common problem that braces and Line-M-Up™ patients need to be on the lookout for is tooth staining, which is something that a lot of people assume isn’t a problem while wearing invisible aligners.
Below we’ll be going over our comprehensive overview as to how you or your child can avoid tooth staining while wearing Line-M-Up™.
Line-M-Up™ And Tooth Stains
Most people are much more concerned about tooth staining when wearing braces as compared to invisible aligner systems like Line-M-Up™, and this is primarily because brackets have been known to leave teeth with two different tones upon removal. However, it’s also absolutely critical for Line-M-Up™ patients to be careful during their treatment process so their end results don’t fall short of those pearly white expectations that we all want from orthodontic treatment.
The biggest issue with invisible aligners is that they’ll wrap over the entirety of each tooth, which then can potentially trap food particles that haven’t been thoroughly removed after eating. Invisible aligners can also prevent water/saliva from naturally rinsing your teeth throughout the course of a day as well.
Properly Cleaning Your Teeth During Your Orthodontic Treatment
When an orthodontic patient is trying to make sure that they’re avoiding tooth stains as much as possible, their best option is to brush their teeth after eating each meal. It’s important for patients to understand how the longer food rests on their teeth, the more likely they can experience potential stains. So when you brush your teeth right away after eating, you’ll undoubtedly support your efforts in reducing your teeth’s overall exposure to staining agents.
Of course cleaning after every meal is sometimes a lot easier said than done, and this is particularly the case for lunchtime. So what we recommend for patients is to bring a small cleaning kit with them to school/work and simply have everything handy for those moments after eating lunch.
Although it might be a little harder to bring with you during your daily routine, it’s also best to utilize an electric toothbrush as much as you can. Electric toothbrushes will maximize your cleaning potential after meals, and they’ll support your efforts in reducing potential tooth stains.
Flossing every day is also absolutely critical for orthodontic patients, and you can now utilize a water flosser to make things easier on braces patients that find traditional flossing too tedious.
Avoiding Foods That Stain Teeth
Drinking plenty of water and regularly cleaning your teeth will definitely go a long way towards rinsing food residue prior to any staining issues, but your best bet to avoid tooth stains during your Line-M-Up™ treatment is to simply avoid particular foods that are known to cause tooth staining.
Some of the biggest staining culprits that orthodontic patients should avoid include all sorts of dark sauces, including:
- Soy sauce
- Barbecue sauce
- Sriracha sauce
- Ketchup
- Curry
You should also avoid certain drinks like coffee, red wine and dark sodas. A good rule of thumb to follow is if it can stain your clothes, then it will more than likely be capable of staining your teeth.
We understand how completely eliminating these types of foods from a daily diet altogether can be somewhat unrealistic for most patients, so what we recommend is simply limiting your overall intake of these staining foods and always clean your teeth and aligners after eating or drinking.
Keeping Up With Your Dental Checkups During Your Line-M-Up™ Treatment
Just like daily teeth cleaning is increasingly important during orthodontic treatment, so is keeping up with your dental checkups. Your dentist will help you avoid serious issues like tooth decay and tooth staining through their thorough cleanings.
And although we’ll always help you with cleaning and aligner tray upkeep tips when you come into one of our offices for checkup appointments, we also know that your local dentist will be able to support our efforts in keeping your teeth clean and healthy throughout the course of your treatment!
Teeth Whitening
A lot of invisible aligner patients think that they can undergo teeth whitening treatment during their orthodontic treatment because their teeth aren’t being obstructed by brackets; however, it’s important for Line-M-Up™ patients to remember that teeth whitening is something you should wait to do until after the completion of your treatment process.
This is particularly important because you’ll want to undergo teeth whitening when your teeth are perfectly straight, and this is because you’ll be better able to maximize your whitening area when your teeth are straight.
Reach Out To JK Orthodontics To Learn More About Our Line-M-Up™ Treatment
JK Orthodontics has become a leader in invisible aligner treatment through our revolutionary Line-M-Up™ technology, and we’ll be more than happy to answer your questions and let you in on the more intricate details of this treatment during your initial consultation.
So reach out to us online or call us at 614-766-0330 (Dublin office) or 614-471-6355 (Gahanna office) to get in touch with our team and let us know how we can support you or your child with our Line-M-Up™ invisible aligner system!