Is It Safe to Drink Coffee with Clear Aligners?

May 7, 2025

a barista pouring a cappuccino

If you’re a coffee connoisseur and love a hot cup of joe in the mornings to help you get ready to start your day, you may be wondering how starting CandidPro clear aligner treatment in Spring will affect your daily ritual. While clear aligner treatment won’t cause you to stop drinking coffee altogether, you should incorporate a couple of new practices into your routine before drinking coffee to protect your aligners from becoming warped and discolored. Read on to learn more.

Can You Drink Coffee with Clear Aligners?

As you’re going through your clear aligner treatment, it’s important that you don’t eat or drink anything besides water while your trays are still in your mouth. When it comes to drinking your morning cup of joe, drinking it with your aligners in your mouth can have several negative consequences on your treatment, including:

  • Just like how coffee can stain teeth over time, it can also stain your aligners. This can cause them to develop a brownish-yellowish hue that will make your trays more noticeable whenever you smile or talk.
  • Because your CandidPro aligners are made from transparent plastic, if you drink a hot cup of coffee, they can warp, causing their shape to change. This can lead to the trays not fitting your arch correctly and even create a treatment delay.

How You Can Drink Coffee Without Worrying About Your Trays

The good news is that nobody, including your dentist in Spring, will expect you to give up coffee altogether while you’re undergoing treatment. Simply fold in a couple of additional of measures into your morning ritual to prevent any negative impacts on your treatment, like:

  • Take your aligners out of your mouth every time you eat or drink anything besides water.
  • Rinse your mouth when you’re done using either alcohol-free antimicrobial mouthwash or even just with water to make sure nothing becomes trapped over your teeth whenever you put your aligners back in your mouth.
  • Drink your coffee a little faster to minimize the amount of time your trays are in your mouth. Because you should be wearing your aligners for between 20 and 22 hours a day, you’ll want to leave some extra time in your day to have all of your meals with your aligners out, too.
  • Cut down on sweeteners in your coffee, like sugar or coffee creamers, to reduce your risk of decay.

In short, yes! You can drink coffee while you’re undergoing clear aligner treatment, just be sure to remove them before doing so to keep your trays from warping and becoming stained. If you have any concerns or questions during your journey towards a straighter smile, never hesitate to reach out to your CandidPro clear aligner dentist in Spring for assistance.

About the Author

With years of experience and a commitment to providing his patients with outstanding results and top-rated service, Dr. Ryan Oakley is proud to offer the latest in orthodontic treatment, CandidPro clear aligner therapy. As a preferred provider, he has demonstrated an incredibly high level of expertise in providing clear aligner treatment over the years. To learn more about this treatment and see if you’re a candidate, visit Spring Creek Dentistry’s website or call 281-407-8333.