Invisalign refueling question

Laura Searle

This is a strange question, but I would love some input. I got invisalign braces in November to fix some bite issues I was having. I will have them through May during the day. I cannot eat or drink anything but water while they are in, and if I take them out and eat/drink I have to brush/floss again. I need to wear them 20-22 hours per day. 

My question is: I don't want my exercise time to be used to not wear them. I seem to do fine with just water (with a pinch of salt) until my workout is over. However, I'm starting to ramp up my training longer than I ever have (usually trained for sprint/olympic). How long can I exercise safely without fueling? My event is a HIM on Aug 13, so I should be able to practice fueling during training in June and July.

For reference, I was already at a good weight (130 lbls 5'7", muscle) and lost 5 lbs lately that I didn't really have to lose. I don't want to lose muscle or strength. I tend to do well on a low/moderate carb diet with plenty of fats and moderate protein- keeps me fuller.

Paul Hough

Laura - I went out of invisalign last summer and now wear a retainer just at nights.  While mine were in, I had all manner of drinks (diet coke, gatorade, ICE, etc. ) and gels to no ill effect ... orthodontist said they worked great on me.  The only days I did not meet the target hours (20-22 same as you) were the days I was racing long course...then they were out...maybe 4 times over a year.

Laura Searle

@Paul Hough they told me that the sugar would stay on the tooth- that sounds so gross to me! They also said it would stain and weaken the tooth.

Paul Hough

I'm not saying they are wrong, but I didn't get any cavities from it.  I just brushed my teeth when I got home and rinsed the braces out whenever I could during a long ride.  No doubt their advice is "best practice" but you know dentists/orthodontists/doctors in general are going to be highly conservative.  If you pre-load before a long ride, then have only water for the first hour, you might only be breaking the "rule" to fuel the last two hours...then brush as soon as you finish.  Conversely, you could just not wear them for the long ride.  My ortho loved me because she dealt mostly with kids who either lost them, or frequently forgot to wear them, thus slowing their progress.  She didn't feel that me skipping most of a day to race an IM was a big deal as long as was good most of the time...which I was.  What mattered is that my teeth progressed perfectly as expected.   It's great that you want to be so fastidious, but I don't think an occasional break from the invisalign will hurt you.   

Patrick Marsh

I wore invisalign for two years and faced the same issue.  In fact, it was one of the first things I asked my orthodontist on my initial consultation.  

Typically, I ate (and brushed) just before I left for a ride .  Then, I wore my retainers for the first 90 minutes and only drank water.  After that, I would start taking in calories every 30-45 minutes, so I removed the retainers for the duration of the ride.  If I were doing something very long like a century, after 90 minutes I would take a gel, drink water, then rinse and after that put the invisalign back in. Chewing sugarless gum works if you are stopping for a few minutes as it helps get food out of your teeth.  

This strategy worked well for me.  However, I wasn't training for an IM at the time, so my rides were typically three to four hours.  Also, be sure to bring your retainer case in your bike jersey because the retainers are easy to misplace when you are fatigued.  I dropped my retainers once during a ride and it turned into a frantic and unpleasant search.  

Even if you did an all day event without your retainers, you should be able to get back on track by adding days to how long you wear that particular retainer before switching to the next one.  This is consistent with @Paul Hough 's experience.

Finally, I unfortunately have had one cavity in my adult life - it was while I wore my invisalign.  Having your teeth pushed together provides opportunities for your sugary gels to get trapped - so chew lots of sugarless gum, rinse with mouth wash and carry an extra toothbrush with you everywhere.  

Good luck!  The invisalign were a great investment for me, and I am very glad that I wore them (despite the logistical challenges of training with them.)

Laura Searle

@Patrick Marsh @Paul Hough Thank you for the feedback. I'm really happy with my decision to get the invisalign. I do think I'm being a little too strict. I did notice that when I was sick a couple days, I had them off a lot to drink hot liquids and use throat lozenges, and it didn't set me back at all. Luckily I am just training for a half, and I should only wear them at night once the training increases a lot.

Thanks again and good luck!!