It’s important for orthodontic patients to know what they can and cannot drink while having braces or wearing Line-M-Up™
Just about every orthodontic patient is concerned about what they can and cannot drink while wearing braces and invisible aligner systems like Dr. Karpac’s Line-M-Up™.
Although the vast majority of orthodontic patients are well aware of what they shouldn’t eat during their treatment, there are sometimes uncertainties pertaining to beverages. This includes uncertainties about popular beverages like soda, tea and coffee, so what we’ve done on this page is develop a comprehensive guide by asking some common questions oriented around drinking beverages during your orthodontic treatment.
Below we’ll be answering the following questions:
- Is it OK to drink soda with braces?
- Can you drink tea and coffee with Line-M-Up™?
- Is it OK to drink coffee while wearing clear braces?
- What about drinking water while wearing Line-M-Up™?
- What drinks should you avoid while wearing braces or Line-M-Up™?
- What drinks are OK with braces and Line-M-Up™?
Is It OK To Drink Soda With Braces?
While soda is typically considered to be one of the beverages that is best to be avoided while wearing braces, it is technically OK to drink soda with braces every now and again. The key when it comes to drinking soda during your orthodontic treatment is moderation!
The main reason why soda can be so detrimental while wearing braces is because it’s so full of sugars. Strong influxes of sugar just so happen to be bad for braces because plaque feeds off of sugars, which just so happen to be in abundance in soda. The bacteria found within plaque will snack on sugars, which then will lead to slowly but surely eating away at an individual’s tooth enamel and later lead to serious dental issues like tooth decay.
Soda can also be bad while wearing braces due to citric and phosphoric acids, and this is because these acids are rather detrimental to enamel erosion. So when you combine the amounts of sugar and acids found in soda, it shows why it’s one of the worst beverages for oral health!
These oral health issues are particularly troublesome for orthodontic treatment patients wearing braces, because there’s much more room for plaque and bacteria to hide in between wires and brackets. It’s also important to note that excess soda drinking can lead to cavities, and cavities are never a good thing while you’re wearing braces.
So in the end, drinking soda should at the very most be a rare treat during your orthodontic treatment!
Can You Drink Tea And Coffee With Line-Up™?
Drinking tea and coffee tends to be OK while wearing Line-M-Up™, but you’re going to always need to make sure that you’re properly taking your aligner trays out prior to drinking these types of beverages.
The biggest issue with drinking something like coffee while wearing invisible aligners is that you can pretty easily stain your trays, so they won’t be perfectly clear. But other than aesthetics, hot beverages like tea and coffee can pose threats of warping invisible aligners if left in while drinking. Any type of warping can end up detrimentally affecting your overall treatment process, and sometimes it can necessitate the need for replacement trays.
Also it’s important to note the simple fact that a lot of people like to put sugar in their tea/coffee, which is why it’s always important to thoroughly brush your teeth after drinking these types of beverages before you re-insert your invisible aligners. Having sugars trapped within your aligner and your teeth is always a recipe for disaster when it comes to cavities and other oral health issues.
Is It OK To Drink Coffee While Wearing Clear Braces?
In the recent past, it was very discouraged to drink coffee while wearing clear braces because of potential staining; however Dr. Karpac’s cutting-edge clear braces are actually resistant to staining. This makes drinking coffee while wearing clear braces generally fine.
The only issue with clear braces when it comes to staining is that the clear elastics utilized with this type of braces generally aren’t as stain-resistant. That means that really consistent coffee drinking can potentially cause the elastics to become discolored, but at the very least you can know that you’ll be regularly switching out your elastics throughout your treatment process.
One tip we have when it comes to drinking coffee with clear braces is to always brush your teeth or rinse your mouth out thoroughly with water after you’re done with your cup of coffee.
What About Drinking Water While Wearing Line-M-Up™?
Yes, you can always drink water while you’re wearing your Line-M-Up™ trays; however you should only do this when drinking cold or room temperature water.
It’s never a good idea to drink hot water while wearing your trays for potential warping issues, but drinking water in general is always encouraged!
What Drinks Should You Avoid While Wearing Braces Or Line-M-Up™?
The truth is that you won’t have to completely give up any specific beverages while undergoing orthodontic treatment, but it will always be important to limit the following beverages and only drink them in moderation:
- Sports Drinks: Many sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade are much like soda in that they’re full of sugars and harmful acids.
- Energy Drinks: Even the sugar-free versions of many popular energy drinks are extremely detrimental to an orthodontic patient’s enamel, and this is mainly due to the high levels of acidity.
- Commercial Lemonade And Iced Tea: These specific types of lemonade and iced tea (particularly the ones that come in cans) just so happen be extremely high in sugar and acidity.
- Fruit Juices With Added Sugar: There are many different fruit juices that actually contain little amounts of natural juice and are full of added sugar. These drinks may taste really good, but they’re terrible for your teeth in general and are exponentially worse for your oral health while wearing braces.
What Drinks Are OK With Braces And Line-M-Up™?
You should always highly consider drinks that are generally good for your teeth while you’re going through orthodontic treatment, and the beverages you choose truly are an important decision when you consider how much of an investment you’re already putting into your treatment.
Some great drinks to consider when going through treatment include:
- Water
- Milk
- Unsweetened tea
- 100% fruit juice
Reach Out To JK Orthodontics To Learn More About What You Or Your Loved One Should Drink Throughout Orthodontic Treatments Like Braces And Line-M-Up™
JK Orthodontics has been a leading orthodontic treatment provider in the Greater Columbus Area for many years now, and we always help each and every one of our patients when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet that puts their oral health first.
So always feel free to reach out to us online or call us at 614-766-0330 (Dublin office) or 614-471-6355 (Gahanna office) and let us know what questions you have in terms of what you can drink throughout your orthodontic treatment!