Can You Eat Chips With Invisalign Attachments?
Invisalign® treatment improves a smile by aligning crooked, crowded, rotated or gapped teeth. During the treatment, the dentist near you may use Invisalign attachments. They ensure your treatment is fast and successful. Read on to learn about Invisalign treatment and whether you can eat chips with Invisalign attachments.
What Is Invisalign Treatment?
It is an orthodontic treatment using clear thermoplastic aligners from Invisalign. The treatment focuses on moving teeth gently to correct misalignment and bite issues. Your dentist in Mesa uses Invisalign to straighten crooked teeth and correct overbites or underbites. They also recommend Invisalign to resolve crowding and close large spaces between teeth.
Depending on the severity of your misalignment, the dentist may use other tools during treatment. For example, they may use Invisalign attachments and rubber bands. Invisalign rubber bands are small elastics. They connect the upper and lower arch to help align your top and bottom teeth. The elastics are removed during meals, but the attachments are permanent.
What Are Invisalign Attachments, and What Do They Do?
They are small tooth-colored dots made from a composite resin attached to teeth during Invisalign treatment. Also known as buttons, Invisalign attachments are placed on the center of the tooth. They blend in with the enamel due to their color. A dentist can use triangular, circular or square-shaped attachments depending on the situation.
Invisalign buttons help the aligners to grip onto teeth more effectively. They allow your dentist to adjust your teeth’s position more precisely and effectively. For example, when aligning a rotated tooth, the dentist will attach the button. So, when you wear aligners, they snap over the attachment providing more friction. Consequently, the aligners exert more force on teeth.
Who Needs Invisalign Attachments?
Invisalign aligners usually need the extra force Invisalign buttons provide during treatment. The buttons provide the additional force required to shift teeth efficiently and fast. In addition, your dentist in Mesa can use them to correct severe orthodontic issues.
Although Invisalign attachments are beneficial, not every patient needs them. For instance, if you have a straightforward misalignment case, you may not need them. The dentist will evaluate your smile to determine if you need Invisalign attachments.
What to Eat With Invisalign Attachments
Invisalign attachments appear like small dots on teeth. The dentist bonds the composite resin material on teeth to provide better leverage and force during treatment. Most people are concerned about eating with the attachments after removing the aligners.
One frequently asked question is whether you can eat chips with Invisalign aligners. Yes, you can eat chips with Invisalign attachments. Potato chips do not have the hardness to remove the attachments from teeth. So, eating chips with Invisalign is not prohibited. Just ensure you remove the aligners first and clean your mouth after eating.
However, you should avoid hard, chewy or crunchy foods since they can dislodge the buttons. Examples of such foods are crunchy or chewy bread, candy, ice, nuts and raw carrots. Others include caramel, chewing gum, beef jerky and chewy bagels. Avoid them until you finish treatment because they can pull the attachments off.
Eating and Drinking Tips During Invisalign Treatment
It is possible to continue enjoying your favorite foods and drinks during Invisalign treatment. However, there are specific precautions you should take to ensure the treatment is successful. Below are some eating and drinking tips from the experts at Bella Via Dental.
- Remove your aligners before taking any food and colored or hot beverage. Eating with your aligners in place can damage the plastic trays. Hot liquids can warp the aligners, while colored foods or drinks can stain them. You can only take room-temperature clear water with the aligners in your mouth.
- Clean your teeth before wearing your aligners after a meal. Brush and floss carefully to remove food debris that can cause decay, gum infections or discomfort.
- Store your aligners properly when eating to keep them from collecting bacteria. Rinse them before wearing them to ensure you do not take bacteria or germs into your mouth.
- Rinse your mouth after taking a drink with sugar or colored pigments such as juices and coffee. Doing so will reduce the risk of plaque buildup and staining.
- Avoid eating extremely hard, sticky, and chewy foods so you do not damage your Invisalign attachments.
- Keep your mouth and gums healthy. Avoid taking sugary, starchy foods and beverages frequently.