Will Coffee Stain My Teeth Aligner?

Teeth aligners are made to be near invisible because you need to wear them for most of the day (20-22 hours), every day. Not cleaning them properly or consuming certain foods and drinks can actually stain your aligners and make them more noticeable to your classmates, work colleagues or friends.

The obvious preventive measure would be to avoid drinks and foods that can stain your teeth, but we know that’s not necessarily the most realistic action to take. Let’s look at the biggest staining “offenders” and see how you can still consume the foods and drinks you love.

How to Prevent Stains on Teeth Aligners

The best way to prevent stains on your teeth aligner is to follow the directions given by the manufacturer or dentist you purchased them from. The three most important directions for preventing stains are:

  1. Take your aligners out of your mouth before eating or drinking.
  2. Brush your teeth or at least rinse your mouth before putting aligners back in.
  3. Rinse or clean your aligners every night before you go to sleep and again in the morning.

The next thing that is helpful to know is which drinks and foods leave residue behind that can stain your teeth aligners.

Drinks that Can Stain Your Aligners

Many people think you can drink with aligners still in your mouth, but that’s not true. The only “safe” liquid to drink with aligners in is water. These drinks listed below can stain your aligners if you drink while wearing them or if you do not brush your teeth or rinse out your mouth well before putting your aligners back in.

The main drinks that can stain your teeth aligners are:

  • Coffee and tea
  • Wine and beer
  • Certain juices
  • Certain sodas

Something else important to note is that acidic or sugary drinks—like orange juice, lemonade and sports drinks—can damage or wear away tooth enamel and lead to tooth decay (cavities). So, be sure to rinse your mouth well after these drinks too, because putting aligners back in without rinsing traps that acid and sugar against your teeth without allowing saliva to come in and rinse it away.

Foods that Can Stain Your Aligners

While coffee and wine may be more commonly known as teeth stainers (and now teeth aligner stainers), certain foods can also stain teeth aligners. If you get your teeth aligners through your dentist or orthodontist, ask them about which foods to avoid.

Foods that can stain aligners include:

  • Tomato, curry and soy sauces
  • Dark fruits like blueberries, blackberries, cherries and pomegranates
  • Beets
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Turmeric
  • Water ices, popsicles and other items with food coloring

Other Causes of Teeth Aligner Stains

Chewing tobacco, smoking and vaping can stain your teeth and aligners too. You should take out your aligners before doing any of these, and then brush your teeth or rinse your mouth well before putting them back in.

Since these habits can take up time in your day, you may need to cut back so that you can get the required amount of time with your teeth aligners in.

Cleaning to Prevent and Remove Teeth Aligner Stains

You may only have to wear each progressive set of clear aligners for a couple weeks, but stains can happen quickly, especially if you don’t regularly rinse and clean your aligners. We do have some solutions for you, though, that can help prevent stains and clean stains from aligners.

Cleaning your aligner each day with Efferdent® tablets helps remove stains and kills 99.99% of odor-causing bacteria. Bacteria buildup not only causes a visible film on your aligners but can also cause tooth decay, infections, and other oral health problems. You may think that rinsing your aligners with water throughout the day will prevent stains, but that’s just the first step. A good cleaning once a day with Efferdent® Complete Clean Dental Appliance Cleanser or Efferdent® Minty Fresh & Clean Dental Appliance Cleanser will fight bacteria and plaque buildup, as well as  help remove stains. Plus, it only takes 3 minutes to get the full cleaning effect.

Remember, 3 minutes a day is all it takes to help keep your teeth aligners clean and clear with Efferdent®!