Can You Drink Seltzer With Invisalign?

• Remove your Invisalign aligners before drinking sparkling water. Plain water is the only beverage recommended while wearing your trays.

• Plain seltzer is a better choice than flavored or sugary sparkling drinks, but carbonation is still mildly acidic, so it's best enjoyed with your aligners out.

• After drinking seltzer, rinse your mouth, clean your trays if needed, and fully reseat your aligners to help protect your teeth and keep treatment on track.

One of the most common questions Invisalign patients ask is whether they can drink carbonated water while their trays are in. The official answer is simple: you should remove your Invisalign aligners before drinking soda, seltzer , or any other beverage besides water.

Plain, unflavored seltzer is certainly a better choice than beverages like soda , juice, or sugary sparkling drink s . But while your aligners are in, regular cold or room-temperature water is the safest option for both your teeth and your trays.

And yes, we know—that can feel like an annoying rule when you are supposed to wear your aligners for most of the day.

The good news is that you do not have to give up sparkling water while undergoing Invisalign treatment . You simply need to enjoy it with your aligners out and follow a few easy steps before putting them back in.

Occasionally , drinking plain, unflavored sparkling water while wearing Invisalign is unlikely to cause a major problem. But it should be the exception , not something you do throughout the day or make part of your regular Invisalign routine.

The concern is not that one can of plain seltzer will suddenly damage your teeth or trays. It is the repeated exposure over time. Carbonation makes sparkling water mildly acidic, and your aligners may hold some of that liquid against your teeth longer than it would normally remain there.

Without trays covering your teeth, saliva can naturally wash over them, dilute acids, and help your mouth return to a healthier pH. When sparkling water is repeatedly sipped with aligners in, that natural clearing process may be less effective. 

So, if you occasionally drink a plain, unflavored seltzer with your trays in, rinse your mouth and aligners with regular water afterward. Just avoid turning it into an all-day sipping habit.

Occasionally , drinking plain, unflavored sparkling water while wearing Invisalign is unlikely to cause a major problem. But it should be the exception , not something you do throughout the day or make part of your regular Invisalign routine.

The concern is not that one can of plain seltzer will suddenly damage your teeth or trays. It is the repeated exposure over time. Carbonation makes sparkling water mildly acidic, and your aligners may hold some of that liquid against your teeth longer than it would normally remain there.

Without trays covering your teeth, saliva can naturally wash over them, dilute acids, and help your mouth return to a healthier pH. When sparkling water is repeatedly sipped with aligners in, that natural clearing process may be less effective. 

So, if you occasionally drink a plain, unflavored seltzer with your trays in, rinse your mouth and aligners with regular water afterward. Just avoid turning it into an all-day sipping habit.

Not every bubbly drink belongs in the same category. While the best practice is to remove your clear aligners before drinking any sparkling beverage , some options pose a greater risk to your teeth than others, depending on their ingredients.

• Plain, unflavored seltzer - Typically contains only carbonated water. It's a much better choice than soda, but carbonation can still affect your mouth and enamel over time.
• Naturally flavored sparkling water - Often contains citric acid or other acidic flavoring ingredients, even when it's sugar-free and calorie-free. Citrus flavors tend to be more acidic than plain varieties.
• Sweetened sparkling water - May contain sugar, fruit juice, or other carbohydrates that cavity-causing bacteria can feed on. When these ingredients become trapped beneath aligners, they can remain against your teeth longer than they normally would.
• Sparkling energy drinks, tonic water, and soda - Often combine carbonation with sugar, acids, caffeine, and staining ingredients, making them much harsher on your teeth than plain seltzer.

Invisalign recommends removing clear aligners when consuming anything other than plain water. When it comes to drinking with Invisalign, this simple habit helps prevent damage to the trays and residue from building up between the aligners and teeth.

While wearing your aligners, stick to plain, cold or room-temperature water.

Water does not contain sugar, pigments, or added acids. It also helps rinse away food particles, supports saliva flow, and keeps your mouth hydrated without leaving unwanted residue underneath your trays. 

Invisalign trays are made from thermoplastic material. Drinking very hot coffee with Invisalign, as well as tea, or other beverages, may affect the shape and fit of the trays.

Even a small change in fit matters because clear aligners rely on close, controlled contact with your teeth. Your trays should fit snugly—not feel warped, loose, or uneven.

There is no need to panic if you accidentally take one sip of something warm. Just remove your trays, rinse them with cool water, and check that they still fit properly. Contact your provider if an aligner looks distorted or no longer seats correctly.

Coffee, tea, wine, juice, sports drinks, and flavored waters may stain clear aligners, but appearance is not the only concern.

Sugar and other fermentable carbohydrates can feed oral bacteria, which then produce acids that contribute to tooth decay. Acidic drinks can also expose enamel directly to a lower-pH environment.

When you drink these beverages with your aligners in, the trays may hold the liquid close to your teeth. That is why using a straw is not a complete workaround. A straw may reduce contact with your front teeth, but it does not reliably prevent the beverage from reaching your aligners or becoming trapped underneath them.

The simplest rule is still the best one: aligners out for anything other than plain water.

You can still enjoy seltzer during Invisalign treatment. Here is the routine we recommend:

Take out both trays before opening your sparkling water.

If your aligners are difficult to remove, especially when you have several attachments, start at the back molars and gradually work your way around. Avoid pulling forcefully from just one side because this can put unnecessary stress on the tray. If fingers are too much of a struggle, try our Pultool, aligner removal tool.

Never wrap your aligners in a napkin.

We know it feels convenient in the moment, but napkin-wrapped aligners have an unfortunate habit of disappearing into trash cans. Leaving them loose on a table or putting them in a pocket can also expose them to bacteria, damage, or accidental loss.

An aligner case protects the trays and gives you one consistent place to put them whenever they are out of your mouth.

Plain, unflavored sparkling water is the most tooth-friendly drink choice in the sparkling category.

Try to drink it within a defined period rather than sipping it continuously for hours. Repeated exposure gives your mouth less time to return to its normal pH between drinks. The ADA similarly recommends enjoying sparkling water with meals rather than sipping it all day.

When you finish, rinse your mouth with regular water before replacing your aligners.

You can also rinse the trays after drinking seltzer with cool or lukewarm water. Avoid hot water, which may affect their shape.

If the drink contained sugar, juice, or other cavity-promoting ingredients, clean your teeth before replacing your trays.

Because acidic drinks may temporarily soften the enamel surface, brushing immediately after a highly acidic beverage is not always ideal. Rinse with water first and allow some time for your saliva to neutralize the acids. When you cannot brush right away, a thorough water rinse is better than putting trays back over a sugary or acidic residue.

Follow your dentist or orthodontist’s personalized recommendations if you have sensitive teeth, enamel erosion, dry mouth, or a higher risk of cavities.

Do not let a sparkling-water break quietly become a two-hour aligner break.

Once your mouth and trays are clean, put the aligners back in and use a 2-in-1 seating and removal tool to make sure they are fully snug over every tooth. Look for lifted edges or visible gaps between the aligner and your teeth, particularly around attachments.

Even with a careful routine, aligners can develop cloudiness, odor, or mild discoloration. These habits , paired with the right Invisalign accessories, help keep them fresher throughout each tray cycle

1. Rinse your trays every time you remove them

Saliva and plaque can dry onto the plastic when aligners sit out. Rinsing them promptly with cool or lukewarm water helps prevent buildup.

Use a soft toothbrush reserved for your trays, along with a non-abrasive toothpaste, or aligner cleaning tablets. Avoid abrasive toothpaste, which may scratch the plastic and make the trays appear cloudy.

Cleaning tablets can help loosen buildup and freshen aligners. Some formulas may also improve mild- moderate discoloration, but stain removal is not their primary purpose—and they may not reverse deep staining caused by repeatedly drinking coffee, tea, wine, or colored beverages with your trays in.

Think of cleaning tablets as part of your regular hygiene routine, not permission to drink staining beverages through your aligners.

PUL’s 2-in-1 aligner seating and removal tool helps with both sides of the routine.

The removal end helps lift aligners away from teeth and attachments without relying on fingernails. After cleaning your teeth and trays, the reusable Chewtool end helps press the aligners firmly into place so they fit closely around each tooth.

That can be especially helpful after a drink break or when beginning a new tray that feels extra snug.

If you're considering Invisalign or already have your trays, here's the short version: You can drink sparkling water during Invisalign , but take your aligners out first.

Plain, unflavored seltzer is generally a better choice than soda or sweetened sparkling beverages. Still water, however, remains the safest drink while your trays are in since it doesn’t expose your teeth or aligners to added sugar, pigments, heat, or acidity. 

Your easiest routine is:

Remove your trays, place them in their case, enjoy your drink, rinse or clean your teeth, and reseat your aligners completely.

It may add an extra minute to your day, but it protects your trays, supports your oral health, and helps keep your Invisalign treatment moving in the right direction.