I’m not sure whether I have been living under a rock all my life, or whether I just don’t watch enough TV but it seems that I have missed out on something fairly important when it comes to this braces thing.
Since I had children I have got rid of almost all the vices in my life- smoking, staying out all night partying, you know the kind of stuff. So much so, that lately I have been considering the possibility of cultivating some new ones… One habit that I haven’t managed to kick though, is a serious diet coke habit. Before you say it, yes I know it is the devil’s drink and probably carcinogenic and all that stuff, I understand and appreciate all of it, but the problem is…it tastes gooooood. So, Invisalign braces or not, I have kept to my several glasses a day routine, taking my aligners out, glugging down a quick hit, brushing (not always flossing because it is only a drink, right?) and then putting my aligners straight back in. Bad. Bad. Bad.
However, yesterday, thanks to the good people on a braces forum, it has come to my attention that I am probably seriously damaging my teeth. ( I mean more than I thought I was by drinking the brown stuff) Apparently, there is a Tv advert at the moment that tells you that after fizzy drinks you shouldn’t brush for 30 minutes as you may actually remove enamel from your teeth. Instead, it is far better to swish with water, wait 30 minutes and then brush.
How did I miss this? I’m a busy mother with a pretty hectic life, and I’ve never been a daytime tv kind of gal, but I can’t believe that I have missed it completely. Apparently, asking around, it seems that it is common knowledge though, so maybe I’m just not as well informed as I thought about all matters dental.
Every child is proffered dire warnings by their parents and holds forever in their mind the urban myth of a tooth dissolving in a glass of coke overnight, so I can believe that drinking it could soften the enamel- it sounds plausible. So what happens if I don’t brush for half an hour? Should I put my aligners back in and effectively create the glass/tooth circumstances within my aligners? Should I keep the aligners out for half an hour after every drink? Should I just. Gulp. Give it up?
So, what to do? I think, on balance, my Crohns disease in mind, I’m just going to have to bite the bullet and go cold turkey, or at the VERY least limit my consumption to meal times. Having recently given up coffee the lack of caffeine is going to be a serious problem, but I’ll ease myself in with a gentle weaning program and let you know how I go…
If anybody has any alternative suggestions that might allow me to keep drinking the bad stuff please let me know…I don’t have much fun left!
On a brighter note, it was also suggested to me that I should use a flouride rinse whilst using Invisalign. I have bought one, and will use it for the next month until I see my orthodontist, when I will question him on the pros and cons. He certainly didn’t suggest it, but it seems other people’s ortho’s have, so I’m willing to give it a go.
I am so happy that I found your blog! I’m actually only on my first day on Invisalign (only a couple of hours) but it makes me feel so much better to know I’m not alone with the fear of breaking teeth and cracking the retainer every time I want to get it out.
Have you ever found your answer to the diet coke problem? I also have crohn’s disease and a bit of a diet coke addiction and I really can’t imagine cutting myself off entirely. I have already given up coffee!!
Hope you found the answer because I’m dying to know!
Thanks Liz, I’ll try that one, as my addiction to diet coke is proving a lot harder than when I had to stop smoking…
>found your blog from a forum. one helpful tip my dentist has always recommended is always always always always sip soda through a straw. same goes for coffee or any sugary drink. it minimizes the contact the sugar/fizz has with your teeth which helps with decay and staining. it’s not a cure-all but if you’re going to drink them, better to use a straw than straight.
-liz, US