starving versus overbrushing/flossing

[magdalene]

This is my first week of invisalign and while I can deal so far with the discomfort and the appearance issues, I'm struggling with being hungry all the time. I don't need or want to lose weight (I've already lost a couple of pounds since I began this five days ago!) and I find it hard to be happy or focus on my work when I'm starving.

If I was to eat as I usually would (about six small meals a day) that would mean brushing/flossing six times! My teeth are cavity-prone, so I need to be extra careful and I can't bear the thought of putting trays on over dirty teeth. But I also don't want to damage them by overbrushing/flossing. So I have been trying to eat less often and it's driving me mad.

I am take calcium supplements. I'm also trying to replace a couple of meals with sustagen drunk through a straw, just rinsing afterwards. And I've been reading up on the problems with brushing after acidic food and the benefits of eating a small piece of cheese after each meal. Maybe if I do all those things, would it be okay to brush often - even four times a day?

How many times per day do you all eat/brush/floss? What do your dentists say about the health of your gums/tooth enamel while using invisalign?

I'd be really grateful for any help or ideas you more experienced people have! I'm starving here...

[magdalene]

I also use a fluoride gel, hoping that this will protect my teeth a little...

[sammywantstraightteeth]

I take the starving option. Before Invisalign I used to eat 3 meals a day and have 2 snacks a day. Now I just eat have 3 meals a day, and eat the snacks with one of them! I lost 6 pounds in the first 6 weeks but after that my weight stablised - I got better at judging how much I should eat at each meal in order to get enough calories throughout the day.

On very few occasions something has been tempting enough to get me to brush my teeth an extra time in the day (freshly cooked chocolate brownies, still hot from the oven!?!), but most of the time I can't be bothered with it. If I get so hungry I can't concentrate at all on work, then I drink a milkshake through a straw and rinse my mouth and the aligners with water after. Just had my dental checkup this morning after almost 11 months of doing that, and no cavities so I must be doing alright.

[KUMonkeyMomma]

I tended to be a grazer and have 3 small meals per day and a few snacks rather than 3 big meals. Instead of the snacks, I'd eat more at meals or eat a small dessert/snack after the meal. This way I was only brushing 4 times a day (first thing in the AM and then after the 3 eating sessions). I will also openly admit that I only brushed in the AM and after the meals and then would floss after my dinner meal when they would be in for the rest of the night until morning.

I wore my trays for just over 18 months and I didn't get any cavities or have any issues during that time. So whatever I did worked. I don't drink a lot of acidic juices, etc or eat a ton of fruit so never had issues with that, but if you do drink/eat lots of acidic type foods you may want to ask your provider their opinion on this.

[pearlies]

I'm eating food with alot of fiber, like salads and vegetables to fill my stomach and make it less demanding. I also start the day out with a whey protein shake which I find satisfies me for about 6-7 hours if need be. Also, in my initial weeks I was sucking on sugar-free peppermints alot to satisfy my mouth, keep it busy. I'm finding less and less of a need to use the mints and am drinking more water. I'm doing much better but seriously, the first weeks felt like I was de-toxing and I had nil energy. Try out the fiber/protein shakes - you'll be surprised, plus you don't have to floss if it's just a drink you're sucking down (although I'd still remove the aligners and brush afterwards). Good luck!

[jacjac]

I've been struggling slightly too as i eat like a horse normally and have been cut back to only 3 meals a day now, however my ortho said not to brush more than 3 times a day as this can wear the enamel on teeth.
In the brochure i got with the aligners it said to brush and floss after every time you eat BUT it said if you cant do that then rinsing mouth and aligners thoroughly with warm water would do in a pinch and then to clean properly when you can.
I've only just started treatment but iv done this at least once every day coz havnt had toothbrush ect and it seems fine.
The ortho and hygeinist both said that you dont need to floss every time with it, they are just being overcautious when they tell you to.
I'm only offering this as a suggestion that maybe you can eat more and just rinse after whilst brushing/flossing 3 times in a day, however if you are scared of mucking it up or getting cavities maybe dont try this option.
I hope either way that it works out for you.