Can You Smoke With Invisalign

What is invisalign?

Invisalign is a type of orthodontic treatment that can be used to achieve a more beautiful smile. It can be utilized for patients who have mild to moderate misalignment and can also align the bite. Patients with overbite, crossbite, or underbite can enjoy Invisalign treatments.

The process is done using clear plastic aligner trays to gradually move the teeth into proper alignment. This is done by wearing the trays for at least 20 hours a day. The trays are easily removed, allowing patients to maintain their oral health and wellness, flossing and brushing as they normally would without having to worry about brackets and wires that can make it complicated.

 

Benefits Of Invisalign

  • Many patients ask our team about the advantages of using Invisalign over traditional braces.

 

  • Invisalign uses removable trays to straighten the teeth instead of brackets glued to the teeth and connected with wires.

 

  • Invisalign provides precise treatment, as digital imaging is used to create the trays.

 

  • Invisalign treatment allows patients to get a brand-new smile without having to hide behind metal appliances to do so. Invisalign trays are removable, so patients can maintain their oral health and wellness with brushing and flossing.

 

  • Invisalign is comparable in cost with traditional braces and is more discreet.

 

  • Invisalign can be used for teenagers or adults who understand the importance of complying with their treatment. Invisalign allows patients to achieve the smile they’ve always wanted.

 

How does invisalign work?

Patients often ask how the process is completed. First, patients book their consultation appointment. This visit allows for assessment of the patients’ smiles and decides if they are appropriate candidates for Invisalign treatment. If patients choose to move forward with this service to achieve the smile they desire, they then work with the dental team to complete a series of 3D digital impressions.

These impressions create images that are sent to the Invisalign laboratories. The team there will create a precision set of trays that will guide the patients through the process of enhancing their smiles. The number of trays in patients’ series will vary, depending on how severe the misalignment is. Patients return to the dental office to obtain their trays.

During this time, the dentist will walk patients through the process of enhancing their smiles. Patients start with the first tray and snap them over their natural teeth. Each tray is worn for two weeks before patients progress to the next tray. By the end of the tray series, patients will have achieved their beautiful smiles!

 

Can You Smoke With Invisalign?

It is possible to smoke while undergoing Invisalign treatment. You have to be very careful about it, and if you are a heavy smoker you may want to consider a different type of orthodontic treatment. If you are a light or social smoker, it will be easier to manage smoking while undergoing Invisalign.

 

Effects of Smoking on Invisalign

Smoking while wearing the Invisalign trays will inevitably lead to discoloration, which is not only unsightly while you’re wearing the aligners but can stain your teeth as well. Plus, if any tobacco gets into the tray, it can lead to tooth decay. In general, smoking leads to disease and disability and harms nearly every organ of the body. More than 16 million Americans are living with a disease caused by smoking.

For every person who dies because of smoking, at least 30 people live with a serious smoking-related illness. Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also increases the risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems of the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis.

Secondhand smoke exposure contributes to approximately 41,000 deaths among nonsmoking adults and 400 deaths in infants each year. Secondhand smoke causes stroke, lung cancer, and coronary heart disease in adults. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth. 

 

How to Manage Invisalign Treatment While Smoking

One of the major benefits of Invisalign is that the aligner trays are removable. You should remove your trays whenever you eat or drink anything besides water. If you are a smoker, this is the best time to light up. Get your cigarette fix in during mealtimes, then brush your teeth before you put the Invisalign trays back in.

For best results with Invisalign:

 

  • Keep your aligner trays in for at least 22 hours per day
  • Clean your aligner trays frequently
  • Don’t eat or drink with your trays in, except for water
  • Brush and floss before putting your trays in, to avoid trapping bacteria that can cause tooth decay
  • Don’t smoke while wearing your aligner trays

 

If you are a heavy smoker and you don’t think you can cut down or quit, you may not be a good candidate for Invisalign. Smoking while wearing Invisalign aligner trays can lead to a host of problems with your teeth, and you don’t want to be taking your aligners off more than a few times a day for meals.

Invisalign trays need to be worn for at least 22 hours a day to be effective. You may think that taking them off and putting them back on again throughout the day isn’t a big deal, but it adds up and can interfere with the effectiveness of your treatment. SEE: Can You Have Invisalign While Pregnant