We know that tooth whitening or bleaching is a key practice in an aesthetically pleasing, movie star (or “Social Media Influencer”) smile. But, is it advisable to whitening your teeth while you’re under-going orthodontic treatment? We’ll skip a big wind-up in this blog and give our answer to you straight: No, it is not.
It is not a recommended practice whether you have traditional braces, Invisalign removable aligners, or any other issued orthodontic appliance.
While this may seem overly-restrictive, it’s based in science and good sense. With traditional braces, the whitening agents routinely fail to reach all the areas of your teeth covered by the brackets. This results in noticeable, often ‘splotchy’ discoloring on the teeth when the brackets are removed. This is exactly what we are trying to prevent.
Don’t be deceived by the seeming ease of taking your Invisalign aligners out, as well. Aligners are often fitted with supplemental attachment appliances that – just like traditional braces – aren’t going to allow a whitening agent to fully cover all of the intended teeth. The results will… not leave you smiling, to say the least! Let’s dive a little more in depth:
A “Not-So-Secret Agent”
A whitening agent that you apply to your teeth – be it a strip, a gel, even certain tooth pastes and mouthwashes – contains chemical agents, chief among them hydrogen peroxide. These chemicals are cumbersome for the orthodontic treatment experience on two fronts:
1. These whitening agents can’t penetrate through an orthodontic bracket and canvas the area of the tooth the bracket is covering. So, particularly if you’re wearing braces and attempt to whiten your teeth routinely, you may be left with a “tan line” or sorts – noticeable, uneven discoloration on the teeth where the brackets were placed. Additionally, if you are wearing ceramic brackets, the chemicals in certain whitening agents can damage them.
2. Whitening or bleaching agents temporarily expose microscopic channels in your enamel, leading to sensitivity that can range from a ‘unpleasant tingling sensation’ … to a sharp, shooting pain. When there is already pressure being applied to your teeth and gums with your orthodontic appliances, this may increase your discomfort, perhaps to an excruciating degree. Even if the pain is short-lived, it is not a “fate we recommend tempting” a second time.
Our best advice to patients in braces who want their smile looking it’s absolute best during treatment – be patient. The sacrifices you are committing to now will be worth the oral health and pleasing aesthetics of your smile in the long run.
Do be diligent with your brushing and flossing; you may wish to consider using an “orthodontic toothbrush” (V-shaped bristles), interdental brushes (proxy brushes), floss threaders, or water flossers to clean under wires and between teeth.
It’s also wise to avoid “staining” foods – particularly beverages like coffee, dark tea, juices heavy in sugars and dyes, and – public enemy number 1 – soda.
The use of a straw when drinking may help reduce teeth exposure to staining liquid, but again, we recommend avoiding them. Sugar – much like a bleaching agent – can leave a tooth with noticeable “shaped” discoloration once the bracket comes off.
Invisalign is Removable, but…
It would seem that Invisalign removable aligners would allow a bit more leeway with attempting to cosmetically whiten your teeth. Again, in good faith, we recommend against it.
Invisalign aligners come with supplement attachments that are bonded to your teeth, so – same rationale as with traditional braces in avoiding a whitening procedure. Secondly, while it is part of aligner wear instruction to remove your aligners when eating, brushing, and cleaning the aligners… a whitening cosmetic treatment doesn’t fall into any of those categories.
We have observed that patients who remove their aligners to apply a whitening treatment are prone to subsequently leaving their aligners out for a prolonged period of time… which lapses into wearing the aligners infrequently… which results in your teeth not moving to their intended positions, throwing your treatment off-track.
Again, it is not our intention to impose too severe restrictions with aligner wear and prevent you from “living your best life.” The potential for something to go “not as you planned” when you’re removing your aligners for something like a whitening procedure is too great. We’ve seen it happen; don’t chance it.
We will reiterate the same preventive care tips for the Invisalign users as we did earlier in the blog for our friends with traditional braces: be extra-diligent with your brushing, flossing and oral rinsing, particularly after you eat. Avoid “staining” foods and beverages.
Can an invisalign aligner tray be used as a whitening tray?
Another question that may ‘seem like it makes sense’ at first blush, but one we will shut down immediately. An Invisalign aligner tray and a tooth whitening tray are created using completely different methods to serve completely different objectives. DO NOT put any sort of liquid or agent – gels, toothpastes, etc. – into your Invisalign aligner tray with the intent of then putting the tray in your mouth.
If you do have questions about the best “whitening method” for your teeth after your treatment is concluded, or you observe your teeth becoming noticeably discolored while you are undergoing treatment, consult with your orthodontist or your general dentist. They can provide the most optimal recommendation for keeping your smile looking its best!
Have additional questions about best practices to have your smile looking it’s best throughout orthodontic treatment and beyond? Reach out to us! As always, this is a team effort and we want you to “win” a healthy, functioning smile and bite for a lifetime!
If you feel you or a family member may benefit from orthodontic treatment, contact Koch Orthodontics today. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram for an inside look at who we are, and what we do!