Dr Jenny Yoo-park and the professionals Orthodontics in palo alto know that their patients that live in or work near Redwood City, CA, have entire, active lives. It’s easy to lose one’s keys, wallet, or phone. Because of the convenient, removable aspect of Invisalign clear aligners, it can be easy also to lose the clear thermoplastic trays.
Invisalign clear aligners need to be worn to be effective. It’s important to keep track of them when they’re not being worn, and during cleaning, brushing, and flossing. The Invisalign trays come with a convenient protective case to hold the aligner while they are out of the patient’s mouth.
What do I do?
Don’t panic. There are options. Align Technologies (the makers of Invisalign) will replace a lost Invisalign Teen tray at little or no cost to the patient (www.invisalign.com/teen). Invisalign for adults is not so easily replaced. Most often, the patient will forego wearing the lost tray until the new tray is ready to be applied.
How do I cope?
It’s possible for a patient to use their previous set of Invisalign clear aligner trays as a sort of retainer to prevent teeth from moving back into their incorrect positions. Most orthodontists recommend saving the previously used trays for this specific purpose. (Don’t use trays from sets you haven’t started yet, as this could cause problems with the treatment process.)
How do I go on?
A patient with a lost Invisalign tray can frequently wear a previously used aligner tray as a retainer to keep teeth from reverting to their previous positions. After your treatment with the most recent set of Invisalign trays is over, the new upper and lower trays can be worn. There won’t be much of a difference between the past aligner and the new one, so it should fit just fine (although some may experience mild discomfort from the pressure exerted on the teeth by the appliance). Keep your aligners in a safe place (like the provided case) when you take them out to eat, brush, floss, and clean the trays. Don’t get discouraged because of a minor setback like a lost Invisalign tray. Consistency is crucial to successful treatment with Invisalign.
To whom do I turn?
Orthodontic treatment is not inexpensive or casually undertaken. Losing an appliance needed for treatment can be stressful and alarming. But there are solutions.
Dr Jenny Yoo-Park and the team at Palo Alto Orthodontics are specialists in Invisalign. If you have any questions pertaining to Invisalign, Invisalign Teen, braces and clear braces in Redwood City, San Mateo County area, Palo Alto, CA, Menlo Park, CA and Atherton, CA or would like to schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr Jenny Yoo-Park, contact Palo Alto Orthodontics at: (650) 327-2310