We’re all adults and aware that smoking is less than ideal for your teeth, gums, and general health. But does it ruin Invisalign in Bali if you want to get straight teeth and you plan to smoke? The answer is — quite possibly!
Invisalign is the most popular teeth straightening treatment in the UK, Australia, and USA and it can take months to get the results you are looking for. Now imagine if when you have your Invisalign aligners fitted, dentist in Bali tells you that you can’t smoke for the duration of the Invisalign treatment. Would you choose to give up or carry on smoking?
Here at Smile Stories, we are not going to tell you to stop smoking, although we do recommend it. We know that not everyone wants to stop smoking, and we don’t want any unwelcome surprises with your Invisalign teeth aligners, so let’s answer this question now.
The Two Main Issues When Smoking with Invisalign
- Invisalign Teeth Aligners Can Stain
Smoking stains tend to be yellow and are most often seen on fingers and teeth. Unfortunately, smoking will also stain your Invisalign aligners. Look at the photo below.
The aligner, bottom right, shows the effect of stains from smoking after just one week’s use. The staining will be even more pronounced if you’re on a two-weekly change. But it won’t be too noticeable while it’s in your mouth against your teeth, so don’t worry too much. - You Need to Wear Your Trays 22 Hours per Day
This is the most important consideration if you are a smoker and considering treatment with Invisalign teeth aligners. You should only remove your aligners to eat for two hours per day. This gives you 40 minutes per meal to remove the aligners and no more.
If you don’t wear your aligners for 22 hours per day, your teeth won’t move and you’ll prolong your treatment time. This means if you keep removing your teeth aligners to smoke or vape, you are not going to be wearing your aligners for the full 22 hours required to straighten your teeth. There simply isn’t time to remove aligners for smoking.
What If You Want to Smoke during Invisalign Treatment?
Ideally, if you have to smoke while undergoing Invisalign treatment, wait until you remove the aligners to eat and smoke in this window. Brush your teeth, then replace the aligners. But don’t exceed the two-hour removal time during the day.
If you must smoke outside the removal times, then it is better to leave them in. It is unlikely anyone will notice the staining on your teeth aligners. Visit Bali Dental Voyage for more information.
