Crooked or misaligned teeth, especially the front teeth, not only affect your smile and facial aesthetics, but they also make it difficult for you to eat and speak. If you are looking for a comfortable, reliable, and inconspicuous orthodontic treatment option, then clear braces might fulfil your requirements. But are clear braces the right option for you?

This article explains everything you need to know about clear braces. 

What are Clear Braces?

Clear braces, also known as the removable aligners, are removable appliances made from a clear, transparent material that makes them virtually invisible when you wear them. After a detailed clinical examination and preparing a detailed, customised treatment plan, your dentist will give you a set of numbered, upper and lower aligners. These aligners will be designed to move your teeth towards an optimal alignment and occlusion gradually. 

After wearing each set of aligners for about two weeks, your dentist will ask you to switch to the next set of the aligners. In this way, you will start observing considerable improvement in your teeth’ alignment with each aligner set.

The American Association of Orthodontics recommends you wear braces (removable aligners) for at least 22 hours each day for optimal results. Once your treatment is complete, your dentist will give you removable or fixed retainers – to consolidate the treatment and prevent your teeth from moving back to their previous position.

Can You Drink Coffee With Clear Braces?

Unlike the traditional braces, which prevent you from eating hard or sticky foods, you can eat all your favourite foods when it comes to clear aligners. However, you have to remove your aligners when you wish to eat or drink anything. Afterwards, wear aligners back after washing them with lukewarm water. 

Manufacturers of SureSmile® and Invisalign both clear aligner brands, advise against drinking hot or cold drinks while you’re wearing your aligners – except cool water. There are two main reasons for this:

• Warpage – drinking too hot or cold drinks may result in excessive shrinkage or expansion of your aligners, leading to warpage. As a result, your aligners may not fit properly on your teeth. Therefore, dentists recommend drinking anything hot with your aligners. 

• Staining – another reason is the potential for drinks such as tea, coffee, and other fizzy beverages to stain your aligners as well as your teeth, especially if oral hygiene maintenance is optimal. An interesting research study found out that among three different clear aligner brands, Invisalign aligners were more prone to staining with coffee intake. 

Hence, it is not advisable to drink while wearing your aligners, except plain water. 

Can You Eat Curry With Clear Braces?

Since the invisible braces are removable appliances, they offer a distinct advantage over the fixed braces – they can be removed whenever you want to eat or drink anything.

Just like dental experts advise against drinking anything while wearing your braces, eating curry with your aligners is not a good idea. This is because, not only will the aligners affect your taste perception, but the ingredients of curry, especially turmeric may cause your aligners to get stained – defeating the purpose of wearing “clear” aligners.

Therefore, it is best to remove your aligners when eating or drinking anything, especially Curry!

Are Clear Braces Cheaper Than Metal?

The clear braces are made from a high-grade, flexible polymer that offers superior comfort and aesthetics compared to the metal braces. Due to the high cost of material, processing, and fabrication of removable aligners, they tend to be more costly than the fixed braces. However, if we compare the removable aligners’ convenience and comfort with fixed braces, the aligners offer higher long-term cost to benefit ratio.  

Will Charcoal Toothpaste Stain Clear Braces?

Traditional teeth whitening remedies are mostly designed to remove stains from the natural teeth. Since our teeth’ chemical composition and the clear aligners are different, any whitening treatment, including a charcoal toothpaste, may not be effective in removing stains from your aligners. If you are concerned about your aligners’ excessive staining you should speak to your dentist rather than use charcoal toothpaste. 

Do Clear Braces Get Stained?

Clear braces are made from a transparent plastic material, making them prone to staining if they are not removed while eating or drinking. A research study published in 2020, in the journal Head and Face Medicine, showed that different brands of invisible braces were prone to staining if they were exposed to different drinks for prolonged durations. The study also showed that black tea was the most notorious in causing staining of the removable aligners. 

How To Clean Clear Braces?

Manufacturers of clear aligners like SureSmile® recommend that the clear aligners should be cleaned by rinsing them in lukewarm water and remove food debris with a toothbrush – without using any toothpaste as these can sometimes be abrasive to the plastic.

However, you make sure not to wash your aligners with hot water as it may lead to their warpage. Alternatively, you may also use cleaning crystals recommended by your treatment provider. 

Should I Get Clear Braces?

Choosing an orthodontic treatment option for fixing tooth misalignment is a matter of preference and clinical requirement. You and your dentist must consider several factors before selecting any orthodontic treatment;

• the cost
• the expected duration of treatment
• the aesthetic outcome
• whether your insurance plan covers such treatment.

Your smile and facial appearance speak volumes about your personality. According to a survey by The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, people with a beautiful and attractive smile are perceived as more confident and successful – and have higher chances of landing a job.

If you have misaligned or crooked teeth that are marring your smile, then don’t worry; At Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge, Dublin we give you a set of perfectly aligned teeth and beautiful smile with virtually invisible removable aligners. 

At Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge, we want our patients to have a beautiful and charming smile and perfectly aligned teeth. That is why we are offering a free consultation with our dentists so that you can discuss your case with them without any commitment or obligation.

So, what are waiting for? Visit this link and book your free consultation appointment today, and take your first step towards a picture-perfect smile.