Eating & Drinking with Clear Aligners: The Do’s and Don’ts

Can you eat with clear aligners in? The short answer is no — and that is actually one of their best features. Because aligners are removable, you take them out to eat whatever you like, then clean up and pop them back in. There is no list of forbidden foods the way there is with braces. The flip side is a small set of simple rules: remove the trays for food, be careful what you drink while wearing them, and always clean your teeth before re-inserting. Get these few habits right and eating with aligners becomes effortless.

The Golden Rule: Remove to Eat, Brush Before Re-inserting

This is the one rule that everything else flows from. Always take your aligners out before you eat anything — even a quick snack. Chewing with the trays in can crack them, traps food against your teeth, and is not what the plastic is built for. After eating, brush your teeth (or at least rinse thoroughly if you are out), give the aligners a quick rinse too, and put them back in. Sealing food and sugar against your enamel for hours is how decay starts during treatment, so this brush-before-reinsert habit protects the very teeth you are straightening.

Drinks That Are Fine vs Drinks That Stain or Warp

Plain water is the only drink you can have freely with aligners in — in fact, staying hydrated with water is encouraged. Everything else is best enjoyed with the trays out. Hot drinks like coffee and tea can warp the plastic and distort the fit; dark or coloured drinks such as coffee, red wine, cola and juice stain the trays and your teeth; and sugary or acidic drinks bathe your enamel in sugar that is then trapped under the aligner. If you do have a coloured or sweet drink, take the trays out, then rinse your mouth and brush before re-inserting.

Snacking and Grazing Problems

The biggest hidden challenge with aligners is not big meals — it is grazing. Every time you snack, you have to remove the trays, eat, clean your teeth and re-insert, which eats into your 20-to-22-hour wear time. Frequent nibbling either cuts your wear time too low or tempts you to eat with the aligners in, and both slow your progress. The fix is simple: switch from constant grazing to a few defined meals and snacks a day. Many patients find aligners actually help them snack less and eat more mindfully, which is a nice bonus.

Protecting Against Cavities While in Treatment

Because aligners hold saliva and anything else against your teeth for most of the day, oral hygiene matters even more than usual during treatment. Brush at least twice a day and after meals where you can, floss daily to clear between teeth before the trays go back on, and limit sugary and acidic foods and drinks. If brushing right after lunch at work is not realistic, rinse your mouth well with water and brush as soon as you can. Keeping sugar off your teeth and the trays clean is the whole secret to finishing treatment cavity-free — see our full guide to cleaning and caring for clear aligners.

Eating Out and Social Situations

Aligners fit social life better than braces ever did. At a restaurant, slip the trays into your case before the food arrives — discreetly, the way you would handle anything personal — and put them back after you have cleaned up. Carry your case, a travel toothbrush and a small bottle of water so you are always ready. The only thing to avoid is wrapping the trays in a napkin, which is the classic way they get thrown out. With a little planning, dinners, drinks and events carry on completely as normal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I drink coffee with aligners in?

It is best not to. Coffee is hot and darkly coloured, so it can both warp and stain your aligners, and drinking it with the trays in traps the liquid against your teeth. Take your aligners out for coffee, then rinse your mouth and brush before putting them back in. Plain water is the only drink that is always fine with aligners in.

Can I chew gum?

No. Gum sticks to the aligners and is very difficult to remove, and you should not be chewing anything with the trays in. If you want fresh breath, remove your aligners, chew sugar-free gum if you wish, then rinse, brush and re-insert the trays.

What happens if I eat with them in?

Eating with aligners in can crack or stain the trays and traps food and sugar against your teeth, raising your risk of decay. The aligners are also not designed to withstand chewing forces. Always remove them to eat, then clean your teeth and the trays before putting them back.

Eating habits and cleaning go hand in hand — read how to clean and care for your aligners, or learn more about clear aligners at Bunny Dental in Cheras and Damansara Jaya, PJ.