Orthodontic solutions are really popular as they’ve gone down in price and became more universally accessible. And, why shouldn’t you go for that perfect smile if it’s within reach?

But, many people who get an orthodontic intervention will ask the natural question: “can you wear invisalign or metal braces in the infrared sauna?” In this short blog post I’ll answer that question definitively.

Let’s start with the basics though:

What Are Invisalign And Metal Braces?

Many people are aware of metal braces: these are put on your teeth to increase their alignment, straighten out teeth, correct a bite, and many other reasons. Many different braces exist, and metal braces – such as titanium ones – are one of these types.

Since the 2000s, however, “invisalign” braces have become really popular. These braces are made from plastics and aren’t visible the way metal braces are. And, unlike metal braces, you can remove the invisalign braces when you’re eating and drinking. Invisalign braces generally have the same goal as metal braces though, although I don’t go into these differences here.

Many people are naturally worried about whether these metal or invisalign braces are exposed to excessive temperature during an infrared sauna visit. Or, whether the very high temperatures of an infrared sauna somehow affects how well the braces are able to influence the orthodontic process.

My answer is simple: if you’ve got metal or invisalign braces, you don’t have to worry about them inside an infrared sauna. To understand why you’ll need to learn some basics about infrared saunas and temperatures:

Infrared Sauna Heat And Body Temperature

Let’s say you’re sitting inside a far infrared sauna. In that case, if you’re using the hottest temperature available, the room will attain a temperature of around 60 degrees Celsius.

So, naturally you may think: “what if the temperature of my metal braces or invisalign increases to 60 degrees Celsius? How will those braces be damaged, and more importantly, will my teeth or health take a hit because the braces get so hot?”

I get where you’re coming from but that fear stems from misunderstanding. To understand why this fear stems from misunderstanding I’ll have to take a step back and tell you something about body temperatures inside a sauna:

Normal human body temperature hovers around 37 degrees Celsius (1; 2). No matter what you do, you can’t increase that temperature more than 41 degrees Celsius no matter how long you stay inside a sauna (3-5).

And, with that 41 degrees Celsius I’m talking about skin temperature, not core body temperature. Core body temperature is the temperature of your insides. In a sauna, it’s obvious that the temperature of your skin increases most, while core body temperature lags behind.

So, the maximum increase in temperature the metal braces or the invisalign are exposed to is 4 degrees Celsius at most. And to reach that 4 degree Celsius increase in temperature, you’ll have to expose yourself to the most extreme sauna session you can imagine. Such sauna sessions are very exhaustive and intense.

Naturally, in some cases companies such as Invisalign warn you not to drink very hot beverages such as coffee or tea because it can deform the plastics. But, in that case, you might expose the braces to 70 or 80 degrees Celsius, not 41 degrees which is very close to your body temperature.

For metal braces, the point at which there will be any deformity is even much greater. So, from that perspective, let’s conclude:

Conclusion: Don’t Worry About Braces Inside A Sauna

No matter which sauna you use – an infrared sauna or Finnish sauna – no option increases your body temperature so much that there’s any harm to your braces or to your own health. The temperature increase in the hottest imaginable sauna is only 4 degrees Celsius, which is very little deviation from your normal 37-degree Celsius temperature.

So, don’t have any worries about wearing braces inside a sauna…

References:

1. Walker HK, Hall WD, Hurst JW, editors. Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. 3rd ed. Boston: Butterworths; 1990. PMID: 21250045.
2. Geneva II, Cuzzo B, Fazili T, Javaid W. Normal Body Temperature: A Systematic Review. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019 Apr 9;6(4):ofz032. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofz032. PMID: 30976605; PMCID: PMC6456186.
3. Leppäluoto J. Human thermoregulation in sauna. Ann Clin Res. 1988;20(4):240-3. PMID: 3218894.
4. Harvey MA, McRorie MM, Smith DW. Suggested limits to the use of the hot tub and sauna by pregnant women. Can Med Assoc J. 1981 Jul 1;125(1):50-3. PMID: 7260810; PMCID: PMC1862577.
5. Shoenfeld Y, Sohar E, Ohry A, Shapiro Y. Heat stress: comparison of short exposure to severe dry and wet heat in saunas. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1976 Mar;57(3):126-9. PMID: 1267582.