Lost or Broken an Invisalign Aligner? Here's What to Do
It happens to plenty of people partway through treatment. An aligner gets wrapped in a napkin at lunch and thrown out, or a tray turns up cracked when you take it out at night. If that is where you are right now, take a breath. This is a common hiccup, not a ruined treatment plan. What matters is what you do over the next day or two.
Tell us sooner rather than later
The lost aligner usually is not the real problem. The real problem is the two or three weeks that go by before anyone at the office hears about it. Teeth move because an aligner keeps steady, gentle pressure on them, and they tend to drift back toward where they started once that pressure stops. A gap of a day or two is usually easy to work around. A gap of several weeks sometimes means refitting or ordering new trays. So call us as soon as you notice, even if you are not sure it is a big deal.
If an aligner is lost
Do not skip ahead to the next tray on your own, and do not go without anything in your mouth while you wait to hear from us. A few things that usually help in the meantime:
Go back to your previous aligner if you still have it. It fit a week or two ago, so it should still seat, and it holds your teeth where they are now.
Hold on to the tray that comes after the lost one, if you have it. Depending on how far into the current tray you were, we may tell you to move forward instead of back.
Check the obvious places first. Napkins, coat pockets, the car, the gym bag, the kitchen trash. An aligner you find is faster than one we have to replace.
Tell us which tray number you were on and how many days you had worn it. That one detail decides most of what we say next.
If an aligner is cracked or a piece broke off
Small cracks along the edge are common, especially near the end of a tray's run or if the aligner gets pried out roughly. A hairline crack on a tray that still seats fully is often fine to finish out, but we would rather look at it than have you guess. Bring it in, or send us a photo.
If the tray has split, lost a chunk, or no longer snaps down over your teeth, stop wearing it and go back to your previous aligner until we have talked. A tray that does not seat is not moving anything, and a broken edge can cut your tongue or cheek.
Wear time is most of the work
We generally ask for 20 to 22 hours a day, which in practice means the aligners are in except when you are eating, drinking anything other than water, or brushing. Treatment usually slips because trays spend evenings on the nightstand, not because of one lost aligner. If you have been falling short of that, tell us. It changes what we plan, and nobody here is going to lecture you about it.
A few habits that prevent the next one
Carry the case and use it every single time. Aligners almost never get lost out of a case. They get lost off napkins, countertops, and pockets.
Never wrap a tray in a napkin at a restaurant. That is how most of them end up in the trash.
Rinse with cool or lukewarm water, not hot. Heat can warp the plastic and change the fit.
Keep the last two or three trays you have finished, somewhere you will actually find them.
Keep them away from pets. Dogs are drawn to them, and a chewed aligner is not salvageable.
When to call us right away
A tray no longer fits, or it hurts in a new way
An attachment, one of the small tooth-colored bumps bonded to a tooth, has come off
You have run out of trays and your next visit is still weeks away
You have gone more than a few days without wearing anything
Most of these calls take a couple of minutes to sort out. We would much rather hear about a lost aligner on a Tuesday than find out about a month-long gap at your next appointment.
This post is general information, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan for your situation. If something does not feel right with your aligners, call us so we can look at your case specifically.
Hashimi Dental, 3701 Market St. Suite E, Riverside, CA 92501
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