can you drink coffee with retainers

The teeth fairy doesn’t come every night, but once in awhile, she does appear. The problem? She doesn’t recognize your retainer. 

Do you have to get rid of your retainer for good to get the attention of the tooth fairy? 

Unfortunately, yes. But is there anything you can do to keep her away? 

The answer is yes and no. You see, it’s not a good idea to keep your retainer while you have braces because it makes the process of removing them that much harder. 

On top of that, drinking coffee while you have braces will wear down your metal wires and cause an infection that could lead to further dental damage. 

Keep reading to learn more about this topic and what you should do if you want to keep drinking coffee while having braces.

What Is a Retainer?

A retainer is a device that sits in your mouth and is used to hold your teeth in place while you have braces on. 

The retainer helps ensure that your braces are properly positioned and they also help alleviate some of the discomfort caused by wearing braces. 

When you take out the retainer, it’s time for another visit to the orthodontist for adjustments.

Why it’s not a good idea to keep a retainer while wearing braces

The first reason keeping your retainer while you wear braces is not a good idea is because it causes a lot of problems. 

The wires that hold your retainer in place can get affected by coffee or other drinks, which will cause the metal to become bent and lose its strength. 

This can lead to further complications like a wire bending in the wrong direction and being difficult to remove. 

Since you might have to wait for the tooth fairy for up to two years, you must make sure the metal doesn’t bend so that the process goes smoothly.

Can you drink coffee while having braces?

It’s not recommended. Drinking coffee while you have braces can wear down your metal and cause an infection, which could lead to further dental damage. 

The only time it’s okay to drink coffee while wearing your retainer is if it’s a special occasion–such as your wedding day or graduation day. 

In this case, the wire should be removed and replaced with a temporary retainer that won’t affect the taste of your coffee. 

You can drink coffee while wearing braces as long as it doesn’t affect the wire, but make sure it doesn’t touch any other part of your mouth because that will cause an infection. 

However, when you’re done wearing them, don’t leave them on for too long because they will start to rust.

Conclusion

As long as your braces are still new and not broken, you can most likely drink coffee while wearing your retainer. 

But, if you are wearing braces on multiple teeth, you should probably avoid coffee and other caffeinated drinks during the day. 

If you have a broken retainer, you should skip the coffee for a few days until you get it replaced.