Can I chew gum during my Invisalign treatment?

[Rebecca]

Hello

I'm thinking about getting invisalign clear braces to straighten my teeth and also get them whitened at the same time. I really like chewing gum and tend to chew gum after meals to make my mouth smell more fresh and feel more clean. I would like to know, if I can chew chewing gum whilst the invisalign trays are in my mouth?

I am guessing that when I am eating lunch and dinner, I would need to remove the invisalign trays, but do I need to remove the trays when I am chewing gum as well or can I leave the Invisalign aligners in my mouth and chew gum with them in my mouth?

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Hello Rebecca,

Thank you for your post. Gum should not be chewed with the invisalign aligners in. Chewing gum can pull the invisalign clear braces off and cause wear and tearing of the invisalign trays.

Certain teeth will have invisalign attachments and these are tooth coloured composites bonded on the teeth to increase retention of the aligners and aid movement of the teeth. Chewing gum can also these attachments to debond and they would need to be rebonded which will delay the treatment and can compromise treatment results.

You would need to remove the invisalign trays when you are chewing gum and ensure you wear the aligners for a minimum of 22 hours per day.