Orthodontic Diet

A side effect of aligner therapy is the orthodontic diet. I may have mentioned in the past how aligner therapy changes the way I eat. I definitely snack less because each time I eat, I take the aligners out, then brush my teeth and wash off the aligner before putting it back in. I think twice about eating anything between meals.

I thought, this could be considered a method of dieting for those who would like to lose some weight. This is how it could work:

• Plan your meals for the day following whichever guidelines work best for you(counting calories, low fat, low carbs/high protein.)
• At meal time, take your aligners out and note the time.
• Enjoy your meal.
• Brush your teeth and floss if you have time.
• Rinse off the aligners and place them back into your mouth. No more than one hour should have elapsed.
• DO NOT remove the aligners again until the next scheduled meal time
• DO NOT try to eat anything with the aligners in place
• DRINK ONLY WATER when wearing the aligners
• follow a regular exercise program

This takes some discipline as do all other methods of dieting. The aligners can serve as a reminder not to put food in your mouth. Avoid over-eating during the meals when the aligners are out. Practice portion control. If you follow the orthodontic diet, besides ending up with straighter teeth, you may wind up with a slimmer body. How nice!

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