With the excitement of delicious home-made food and the mouth-watering smells wafting from the oven, Invisalign wearers will have to try their hardest not to taste-test and snack on meals without taking their aligners out. Here are some tips to help keep your Thanksgiving as joyful as possible while allowing Invisalign to properly straighten your smile. 

 

  • Adjust your oral care during the holiday season.

Normally you are brushing your teeth two times a day, but during a season with 

so many good snacks filling your tables, that might not be enough. When your snacking increases, so should the amount of times you brush and floss in a day. Be prepared to brush more like three to five times a day when using clear aligners. 

 

  • Bring an aligner case and previous aligners.

Everyone always forgets at least one thing at the hotel, so packing your previous aligners to wear until you can get fitted for new ones is a smart idea just in case that one thing was your Invisalign. Always bringing a case when you go to a relative‘s house instead of wrapping your aligners in a napkin can save you from someone throwing them away as they’re clearing the table.

 

  • Skip the snacking and the sipping.

Although it may seem harmless, “just one taste” can do all the damage to your

Invisalign. Save all your gobbling for when your aligners are out and put in their case. Same goes for sipping on a glass of wine throughout the holiday party. That can stain your aligners, making them much more visible, defeating the purpose of the invisible look we are all so thankful for. 

 

  • Start your new set of aligners at night. 

If you’re starting a new set of aligners right before the holiday feast, orthodontist’s recommend putting them on at bedtime. This way, your teeth will have a couple hours while you are sleeping to get used to their new fit. If they still are bothering you, choose the softer foods like switching out that drumstick for a piece of soft white meat or piling on those mashed potatoes. 

 

  • Do not put your aligners back in without brushing and flossing.

Make sure that before your food coma starts after your delicious meal, you take a quick stop to the bathroom and clean your teeth before popping your Invisalign back in. The food and drink particles that are left on your teeth will be trapped by the Invisalign and can do real damage to your teeth. 

 

Keeping up on your oral care and following the rules of your orthodontic treatment means that you can enjoy all of your holiday seasonal favorite foods and beverages while at the same time not worrying about damaging your teeth. May this holiday season leave you with full bellies and straight smiles thanks to Invisalign.