Article by:
Amelia Grant
Invisalign's mechanism may indirectly result in weight loss. This is primarily due to how Invisalign influences what and when you consume.
By altering your everyday routine, Invisalign may cause modest changes that become more evident during treatment.
Eating With Invisalign
Invisalign does not require you to change your eating or drinking habits. However, it does influence how and when you can eat and drink, which can lead to dietary changes.
Here are the essential features of Invisalign therapy that may affect your diet:
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Your aligners must be removed before meals to avoid damage;
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Before putting your aligners back in, wash your teeth and rinse your mouth;
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While your aligners are in, you can only drink water (other drinks risk staining them);
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You need to wear your aligners for 20 to 22 hours a day (with 2 to 4 hours for meals and mouth hygiene).
What Are the Benefits of Invisalign?
Invisalign has various specific benefits, regardless of unintentional weight loss:
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Straighter teeth
The most obvious benefit of Invisalign is that it straightens teeth. Like braces and other clear aligners, Invisalign applies pressure to your teeth. This pressure gradually aligns your teeth over several months of treatment. Invisalign is an in-office clear aligner brand, meaning you'll need to see your dentist regularly. This enables Invisalign to tackle more complex cases of misaligned teeth.
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Improved oral hygiene
Misaligned teeth can be challenging to keep clean. Straighter teeth make it easier to brush and floss.
Furthermore, you may notice some changes in dental hygiene even before the treatment is completed. During Invisalign treatment, you'll need to become used to cleaning your teeth after each meal. This may motivate you to devote more time to your dental health.
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Low profile
As the name implies, Invisalign is intended to be nearly invisible. Unlike braces, clear aligners allow you to receive orthodontic treatment without attracting unwanted attention. This makes it suitable for teens and adults concerned about their appearance.
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Comfort and convenience
Orthodontic therapy causes some discomfort and inconvenience. Invisalign, unlike braces, minimizes them to a minimum. Invisalign does not use brackets or wires to cover your teeth or poke the soft tissues in your mouth. These aligners are also removable, so you can eat and brush your teeth as usual. Braces can also impair speech, which is less common with Invisalign.
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Compounding habits
Invisalign treatment will cause you to develop new habits. Removing, replacing, and cleaning your aligners will become part of your daily routine. It may also affect your nutritional habits.
Invisalign Versus Braces
While Invisalign has some evident advantages over braces, it also has limitations. Clear aligners cannot correct the most severe malocclusions or jaw alignment concerns.
Braces are widely regarded as the most effective orthodontic treatment approach. They apply more pressure than Invisalign and can be paired with other orthodontic devices.
Braces may be necessary to correct severely misaligned teeth and/or jaws. Consult your dentist to discover what is best for you.
The bottom line
Invisalign is an orthodontic therapy. It is meant to be a discreet and convenient alternative to braces that a dentist supervises.
Because Invisalign requires you to change what and how you eat, it may result in weight reduction. For some people, this may be a nice side effect, but Invisalign is not intended to affect weight in any manner.
These requirements can cause you to view food differently. To sip a Coke or have a snack between meals, remove your aligners and store them in their case. You'd also need to brush your teeth afterward.
In short, Invisalign makes munching inconvenient. Over the course of several weeks or months, reducing casual eating could result in weight loss.
Invisalign can also cause you to associate eating with meals rather than snacks. It may also lead to a long-term habit of brushing your teeth after each meal. These new habits may indirectly contribute to reduced calorie consumption.
Weight loss should not be the goal. Invisalign is designed to straighten teeth, improve smiles, and improve dental health, not to help you lose weight. However, you may want to lose weight and like how Invisalign makes it more accessible.