The aligners for Invisalign in Woodbridge are removable, allowing patients to enjoy all of their favorite foods and keep up with an easy oral hygiene routine. However, the removable nature of the aligners comes with a downside — you might experience a mishap that leads to one of them getting lost. What should you do if an aligner disappears? Here are some practical steps you can take:
Thoroughly Search for the Aligner
Some Invisalign patients have lost an aligner during a meal. They remove it in order to eat, and when they finish their food, they are surprised to find that it seems to have disappeared. In many cases, this happens because the individual wrapped their aligner in a napkin, and it accidentally got thrown away with the trash. If you believe that happened to you, you could try looking in the garbage bin closest to where you last ate. (If you find your aligner, be sure to thoroughly sanitize it before you start wearing it again.)
Other places where you might look include:
- Your purse
- Your gym bag/locker
- On the floor around areas where you commonly remove your aligner
Call Your Dentist
If your efforts to find your aligner are unsuccessful, call your dentist as soon as you can. Depending on your specific circumstances, they might advise you to:
- Wear an old aligner. The previous aligner can prevent your teeth from drifting out of place while your dentist orders a replacement for the one that got lost.
- Move on to the next aligner. This is usually only an option if you were close to being able to switch anyway. Do not do this without your dentist’s approval — changing aligners too soon can cause discomfort and other problems.
How to Prevent Future Loss
Here are a few ways in which you can reduce the risk that you will lose another aligner in the future:
- Have a designated storage case. Always put your aligners in their case when you are not using them. This can prevent them from accidentally getting thrown away or kicked under the furniture.
- Do not place them where they might fall. Setting your aligner on the edge of a table or desk means that it might tumble to the floor, where it could blend in with the carpet and get lost. It is also possible that a curious pet could steal it.
- Avoid unnecessary removal. Your aligners should always be in your mouth, except when you are eating, caring for oral hygiene, or playing contact sports that require the use of a mouthguard.
Losing track of an Invisalign aligner can be a frustrating experience, but if you take the appropriate actions, you can get your treatment back on track ASAP.
Meet the Practice
New Haven Dental Group in Woodbridge is home to a large team of general dentists and specialists. Our practice is therefore able to offer a broad range of services, including Invisalign clear aligners. If you are curious about Invisalign and how to make a success of the treatment, we would be happy to answer your questions. Contact us at 203-409-2535.