What can I eat with Invisalign? Your complete guide to eating, drinking and enjoying life with clear aligners

One of the biggest appeals of Invisalign is that you can remove the aligners to eat and drink – meaning no food restrictions like with traditional braces. However, many patients starting Invisalign treatment at Love Teeth across our Surrey practices still have questions about the practicalities of eating with clear aligners.

The good news? With Invisalign, you can eat absolutely anything you want. The key is understanding when to wear your aligners, how to care for them properly, and developing simple habits that keep treatment on track. Whether you’re in Sutton, Cheam, Worcester Park, New Malden, Chessington or Stonecot, this guide will help you navigate eating and drinking throughout your Invisalign journey.

The golden rule: always remove aligners before eating

This is the cardinal rule of Invisalign: remove your aligners before eating or drinking anything except plain water. Eating with aligners in can crack or damage them, trap food particles against your teeth creating a perfect environment for decay, and stain the aligners making them visible.

Removing aligners before meals protects both your aligners and your teeth. Yes, this means a bit of planning around meals and snacks, but it quickly becomes second nature.

What you can drink with aligners in

Water is the only beverage you should drink whilst wearing aligners – specifically, room temperature or cool water. Hot water can warp the plastic aligners, affecting their fit and effectiveness.

Everything else requires removing your aligners. This includes coffee and tea (hot or iced), soft drinks, juice, alcohol, sports drinks, and hot chocolate. These drinks can stain aligners, contain sugars that damage teeth when trapped against enamel, be acidic and erode enamel, or be hot enough to warp the plastic.

If removing aligners every time you want a coffee feels inconvenient, consider designating specific times for beverages. Many patients have their morning coffee at breakfast, afternoon tea at lunch, and enjoy other drinks with dinner – all times when aligners are already out.

Managing meals and the 22-hour rule

For Invisalign to work effectively, you need to wear your aligners for 20-22 hours daily. This leaves only 2-4 hours for eating, drinking, and oral hygiene. Most patients find success by sticking to three main meals, limiting snacking, planning meal times, and being efficient with eating.

A typical schedule might look like: remove aligners, eat breakfast (20-30 minutes), brush and floss, replace aligners. Then wear aligners for 4-5 hours before lunch. Repeat the same process for lunch and dinner. This leaves you comfortably within the 22-hour daily wear requirement.

The importance of oral hygiene after eating

With traditional braces, food gets stuck in brackets and wires. With Invisalign, you remove the aligners to eat – but you must clean your teeth thoroughly before putting them back in. Ideally, brush and floss after every meal. At minimum, rinse thoroughly with water if brushing isn’t possible.

Putting aligners back over dirty teeth traps bacteria, food particles and acids against your enamel for hours. This creates the perfect environment for cavities and gum disease. Many Invisalign patients carry a travel toothbrush and small toothpaste for use after meals away from home.

Eating out and social situations

Many patients worry about managing Invisalign in social situations. The reality is that it’s far less disruptive than you might imagine. Excuse yourself to the restroom to remove aligners before the meal. Keep them in their case whilst eating. After the meal, rinse your mouth with water, brush if possible, and replace aligners.

Most people won’t even notice you’re wearing Invisalign. The aligners are remarkably discreet. If anyone asks, most people are curious and supportive rather than judgmental. Many patients find that friends and family are fascinated by Invisalign and ask questions about the process.

Special occasions and flexibility

Weddings, parties, important meetings – these occasions might require extra flexibility. If you need to have your aligners out for longer than usual, it’s not the end of the world. One evening with reduced wear time won’t derail your treatment. However, make it the exception, not the rule.

If you know you’ll be at an all-day event with extended eating and drinking, plan ahead. Wear your aligners as much as possible before and after the event. Consider carrying oral hygiene supplies to clean between courses. Accept that one day of imperfect compliance won’t ruin months of treatment.

Common challenges and solutions

Frequent snacking habits need adjustment during Invisalign treatment. The solution is to consolidate snacks into meal times or designate specific snack times. If you typically graze throughout the day, this adjustment requires conscious effort initially but becomes easier.

Morning coffee lovers face a dilemma – remove aligners for coffee, or wait until breakfast. Many patients adjust by having coffee with breakfast rather than before, or by switching to cool water whilst waiting for breakfast time.

For busy professionals with unpredictable schedules, keeping emergency oral hygiene supplies in your desk, car, or bag helps maintain compliance even on chaotic days. A travel toothbrush, small toothpaste, and floss take minimal space but provide peace of mind.

The bigger picture: lifestyle benefits of Invisalign

Whilst managing meals with Invisalign requires some adjustment, the lifestyle benefits far outweigh these minor inconveniences. Unlike traditional braces, you can eat anything – no forbidden foods. You can remove aligners for special occasions, job interviews, or important presentations. The aligners are virtually invisible, so most people won’t even notice you’re straightening your teeth.

Many patients report unexpected benefits like more mindful eating habits, better oral hygiene throughout treatment, and weight management from reduced snacking. The requirement to brush after eating makes you more conscious of what you eat.

Your Invisalign journey with Love Teeth

At Love Teeth’s six Surrey locations, we’ve guided hundreds of patients through successful Invisalign treatment. Our experienced team provides comprehensive support throughout your journey, from initial consultation through to your final aligner. We help you develop practical strategies for managing meals and maintaining compliance. We’re always available to answer questions or address concerns.

If you’re considering Invisalign and have questions about how it will fit into your lifestyle, call Love Teeth on 020 8337 0629 or book a consultation online at any of our practices in Cheam, Sutton, Worcester Park, New Malden, Chessington or Stonecot.

During your consultation, we’ll assess whether Invisalign is right for you, explain the treatment process in detail, answer all your practical questions about eating, drinking and daily life, and provide a clear treatment plan and pricing. As winners of the 2024 Patient Care Award, we’re committed to making your Invisalign experience positive from start to finish.