Invisalign lost or cracked? This is what you do now

Four steps, in this order.

1. Have one more calm look. Check napkins, coat pockets, yesterday's bag, and the restaurant's bin if that is still possible. Aligners nearly always disappear in the same places.
2. Contact the practice. Do that as soon as you notice, even if you are unsure whether it is bad enough. You do not have to judge the consequences yourself, that is what the contact is for. You can call or email via the contact page.
3. Pass on three things. Which set number you had in, how many days you had been wearing it, and what exactly happened. With those three details it can be assessed straight away what is needed.
4. Do not let your teeth stand still for days. Ask during that contact what you had best wear until then, and follow it.

With a cracked aligner you follow the same list. Report even a small tear in the edge, because the aligner then sits differently than intended.

There is no standard solution, and that is exactly the reason to report it instead of choosing yourself. What is advised depends on how far along you are and on what your plan asks at that moment. These are the options on the table:

• carrying on with the aligner you have
• going back to your previous set
• starting the next set earlier
• having your teeth scanned again

Which of those four it becomes you hear from your practitioner. What you read online about somebody else is about somebody else's teeth.

Because an aligner does its work by fitting exactly. Glue, scissors or a nail file look like a solution, but afterwards the plastic sits slightly differently over your teeth. The aligner then pushes in the wrong place. You notice that later in your treatment plan.

There is another reason. Many treatments have attachments on your teeth, small bumps your aligner clicks around to get grip. A deformed or trimmed edge no longer grips those bumps properly, and that is exactly where the movement comes from.

Your teeth only move during the moments the aligner is in. So every day without is a day on which it stands still, or on which your teeth slowly creep back to the previous position. A trajectory runs on average 8 to 16 months and those days come on top of that. The longer you wait, the greater the chance that the next set no longer fits smoothly.

So the question is not which aligner you put in now. The question is when you report it. The sooner you let us know, the smaller the adjustment usually is.

Because it is your only interim solution if something goes wrong. Do not throw a set away as soon as you move on. Keep your previous aligners until you have completely finished your treatment; they take up little space and they can save you an annoying week.

On the road the chance of losing one is greatest, and you cannot just drop by. So take with you:

• your current set
• your previous set
• your next set
• the case, plus a spare case
• a travel toothbrush, so you do not skip brushing

Always store your aligners in the case when travelling, even if it is only briefly. A napkin on the table is the most common way to lose one. Notice while travelling that something is broken? Then simply send the practice a message, even if you are only back in a week.

Five habits that make a big difference:

• always put your aligners in the case, never in a napkin or your trouser pocket
• take them out at the side, not with your thumb at the front
• rinse them with cold or lukewarm water, because hot water deforms the plastic
• keep the case in a fixed spot, so you never have to search
• do not chew on your aligners and do not click them into place with your teeth

Are you in treatment and unsure? Just report it. Even if you think it is nothing. More general questions about aligners can be found in the frequently asked questions.

Do you not have a treatment yet, but do you have questions? Then you can come and meet us with no strings attached. We look at your teeth and you hear honestly what a trajectory would look like for you, including what happens if something goes wrong along the way. Book your appointment via the contact page or call 085 401 47 37.