Dining Out in Brickell, FL: Enjoying Local Cuisine with Your Aligners

1. Sushi and Seafood: Easy on the Aligner

Brickell is known for exceptional seafood spots like The River Oyster Bar and Japanese-Peruvian fusion experiences such as La Mar by Gastón Acurio on Brickell Key. These cuisines offer excellent choices:

• Smart Picks: Sashimi, nigiri, ceviche, and grilled or pan-seared fish.
• The Caution: While hand rolls are delicious, rice can sometimes stick to teeth. Make sure to rinse and brush well before popping your trays back in.

2. Mediterranean and Italian: Comfort Food Made Simple

The Brickell area boasts cozy Italian spots and popular Mediterranean eateries like Motek (known for Israeli-Mediterranean) and La Petite Maison (French Riviera flavors).

• Smart Picks: Handmade pasta, risotto, well-cooked chicken dishes, hummus, and soft cheeses (like burrata). These dishes require little strenuous chewing.
• The Caution: Hard foods like crusty bread or pizza crusts, while fine to eat, demand extra effort and can be uncomfortable if your teeth are sore from a recent aligner change. 

3. Upscale American Bistro: Versatile and Convenient

For an elegant, yet versatile meal, locations like The Henry or a steakhouse offer predictable, easy-to-manage menu items.

• Smart Picks: Steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, well-cooked salmon, and soups. Tender cuts of steak or poultry, cut into small pieces.
• The Caution: Large, tough cuts of meat or very large sandwiches can sometimes lead to prolonged chewing time, cutting into your necessary aligner wear time. 

The Golden Invisalign Diet Rule: Always Remove to Eat and Drink

At the heart of a successful Invisalign journey is a fundamental principle: always remove your aligners before eating or drinking anything other than plain water, which can significantly impact your eating habits. You should only drink water while wearing your Invisalign aligners. This rule is absolutely critical for several reasons:

• Preventing Damage: The clear, medical-grade plastic of the aligners is designed to apply gentle, precise pressure to shift your teeth. It is not designed to withstand the forces of chewing. Biting down on food, especially hard or crunchy items, while wearing your aligners can cause them to crack, warp, or even break. 
• Avoiding Stains and Discoloration: Dark or highly pigmented foods and beverages—such as coffee, tea, red wine, berries, or tomato sauces—will seep into the clear plastic of your aligners, causing unsightly stains. 
• Protecting Your Teeth: If you consume sugary or acidic drinks (even clear ones like lemon water or sparkling water) while wearing your aligners, the liquid becomes trapped between the aligner and your tooth enamel. 

Foods That Keep Your Invisalign Treatment on Track

1. The Initial Adjustment Phase: Focus on Softness

When you change to a new set of Invisalign trays (typically every one to two weeks), your teeth may feel slightly tender or sore as they begin to shift. During this initial adjustment period, for the first day or two, prioritizing softer foods is a smart and gentle choice:

• Dairy: Yogurt, soft cheeses, milk, and smoothies.
• Grains & Starches: Oatmeal, mashed potatoes, well-cooked pasta, and soft bread.
• Proteins: Scrambled eggs, fish, and soft-cooked poultry (shredded chicken or tuna salad).
• Fruits & Vegetables: Bananas, applesauce, and steamed or boiled vegetables. Soft fruits and vegetables, dairy products, lean proteins, and whole grains are gentle on teeth during treatment with aligners.

2. General Food Freedom: Prioritize Hygiene

Once the initial soreness subsides, your diet returns to normal—after removing your aligners, of course. For the Brickell lifestyle that often involves eating out, remember that meticulous cleaning after eating is more important than what you choose to eat.

Foods and Habits to Avoid with Invisalign

Even with the flexibility of Invisalign, certain foods to avoid and habits require extra attention or should be consumed sparingly, not for the sake of the aligners, but for your overall oral health during treatment:

• Excessive Snacking: Invisalign works best when worn for 20-22 hours per day. If you snack frequently, the repeated process of removing, eating, brushing, and reinserting will eat into your wear time. 
• Hard and Crunchy Foods (When Teeth are Sore): While you can technically eat nuts or crusty bread, remember your teeth are actively moving. Chewing very hard items right after an aligner change can be uncomfortable.
• Sticky and Chewy Foods: Caramel, taffy, or even sticky dried fruits can leave significant, difficult-to-remove residue on your teeth. If you put your aligners back in over these residues, you’re trapping sugar and particles against your enamel, inviting decay.

The Essential Post-Meal Routine

The single most important step for every patient of Dr. Grussmark is the post-meal routine:

1. Remove your aligners and place them in their protective case. Always store your aligners in a carrying case when not in use to avoid losing them.
2. Eat your meal.
3. Brush and floss your teeth thoroughly to remove all food debris.
4. Rinse your aligners under cool or lukewarm water.
5. Reinsert your aligners.

If brushing isn’t immediately possible (e.g., you’re dining out in a bustling area of Brickell, FL), vigorously rinsing your mouth with water for 30 seconds is a necessary temporary measure until you can properly clean your teeth. It is also critical to rinse your mouth after consuming staining liquids and to brush your teeth before reinserting aligners to maintain their clarity and hygiene.

Frequently Asked Questions