I need some help for my mom. She has always had teeth which embarrassed her. She was so excited to get Invisalign. She is very diligent to keep them in and I know she’s going to have a beautiful smile when it’s done. The only thing is, her breath smells really bad now. I don’t want to tell her and make her feel weird about something she’s wanted for so many years. But, I also don’t want her going around with bad breath. Is there a gentle way to help her or is this just part of Invisalign?

Carrie

Dear Carrie,

You are such a sweet daughter. You made me as happy for your mother as you are. You’re right, she’ll love her smile at the end. Invisalign doesn’t automatically mean bad breath. However, there are a few common things which we see in patients that can lead to it.

Keeping Your Breath Fresh with Invisalign

• Don’t eat or drink with them in

Patients are allowed two hours a day when they can take the aligners out. That’s intended to give them plenty of time to eat their meals without the aligners in. It’s possible your mom is so excited about the procedure she’s not taking a break. If you see her eating with them in, remind her she’s supposed to remove them.

• Brush and floss your teeth after each meal

Food always gets stuck between our teeth when we eat. Unless you remove that, it will make your aligners pretty pungent. It will also lead to decay pretty quickly. I know you don’t want to talk to her about her breath, but if there’s a way you could gently tell her. Or, if you’re uncomfortable with that, you could just say you’re on your way to brush your teeth after meals together as a reminder to her that she’s supposed to be.

• Hydrate regularly with water

Not drinking enough water can cause not just dehydration, but some pungent breath as well. The added benefit is she can drink that while her aligners are in. It’s the one thing she can drink while she’s wearing them.

• Use the cleaning kit that comes with the aligners

Cleaning your teeth isn’t enough. Occasionally, your aligners need a good clean as well. If she can’t find her kit. She can give them a quick clean with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a baking soda and water mixture.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.