Invisalign is a popular orthodontic treatment that teens and adults love. It allows our patients to resolve their orthodontic issues and straighten their teeth in a discreet, comfortable way. Unlike traditional metal braces, Invisalign aligners can be removed for eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing, so they won’t disrupt your everyday life.

As with all treatments, Invisalign does come with disadvantages. Recently, we’ve heard some Invisalign patients express discomfort because their aligners have been causing them to wake up with dry mouth. Dry mouth occurs when the salivary glands in the mouth do not produce enough saliva to keep your mouth moist.

If you have dry mouth while undergoing Invisalign treatment, you may notice symptoms such as dryness in your mouth, thick and stringy saliva, bad breath, a dry or sore throat, an altered sense of taste, and a dry tongue.

In most cases, Invisalign aligners lead to dry mouth because your mouth treats your aligners as foreign objects, swells, and reduces the production of saliva. The good news is that dry mouth can be treated by simply drinking plenty of water. Our Richmond, VA Invisalign friends, River Run Dental, have stated they receive a number of calls about the issue of waking up with a dry mouth so it is not just you.

Once your mouth feels comfortable with the aligners, dry mouth should go away. In the event your dry mouth persists, we encourage you to visit our office so that Dr. Sims can thoroughly examine your mouth and pinpoint the issue.

Contact Sims Orthodontics

If you have further questions about dry mouth and Invisalign or are concerned about your dry mouth, call us at 850-477-7715 to schedule an appointment.