If you’re a hardcore fan of Halloween, the last thing you want is for anything to interfere with your enjoyment of the holiday, especially your orthodontic treatment. The good news is, if you’re an Invisalign patient, you can have a Happy Halloween as long as you follow these important rules.
1. Take Your Trays Out to Eat Candy
Invisalign should always be removed for meals and snacks, and that includes any type of Halloween candy you decide to sneak. When there are bowls of sugar, chocolatey goodies in bowls and candy jars for a month before October 31, and even afterward, it’s tempting to grab a piece and gobble it down for a quick treat. Just make sure if you do indulge, you’ve removed your Invisalign trays first.
Eating with Invisalign in place is a danger for three main reasons:
- You could damage the trays. Doesn’t matter if the candy you eat is sticky, soft, hard, or chewy. While some can cause more problems than others, any food you eat with Invisalign in your mouth could damage or break the trays.
- Trays could become stained. If you’re lucky enough to not break your trays after noshing on some sweets, you may not be lucky enough to avoid staining the aligners. The claim to fame for Invisalign after all is that it’s difficult to see. Keep the trays in place while you’re chowing down and you could leave stains behind.
- You could develop decay. Sneaking a quick bite or two of candy may with Invisalign in place may not seem like a big deal, but any food particles or bacteria that sit in between the trays and your teeth can wreak havoc on tooth enamel. Over time, decay can develop in that cozy environment.
2. Clean Your Teeth and Invisalign Trays
Cleaning your teeth and Invisalign trays multiple times a day is a must, especially if you’re digging into the candy bag regularly. Brush and floss after every meal and before you snap your trays back in place. Clean off your trays as instructed by your orthodontist too. This ensures that both teeth and aligners are bacteria- and food-free so nothing is caught in between the snug-fitting trays.
3. Time Your Indulgences Carefully
The great thing about Invisalign is that you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want, as long as your aligners are out of your mouth. That means you can have as many gumballs and gummy worms and sugary sweets as you like without worrying about what’s getting stuck in brackets and wires like wearers of conventional adult braces (though, of course, any Center City orthodontist will tell you to please eat in moderation so you don’t overload your teeth with sugar).
The best time to have that Halloween candy you love, though, is at mealtime, when you’re already eating and saliva is plentiful in your mouth and your mouth is working harder to wash away food particles and cavity-cause bacteria. So, make your candy your dessert, then go on your merry Halloween way.
Whether you wear Invisalign or braces, if you have concerns about how to make your orthodontic treatment work during Halloween, contact your Center City orthodontist, Dr. Roberts or Dr. de Marsche, to schedule an appointment.