Unfortunately, replacement trays are not free. One tray can cost up to $150. Although the best thing to do is NOT lose a tray, these things do happen. Sometimes trays get left behind at restaurants or accidentally thrown in the garbage. Here are Dr. Nikaeen’s tips for keeping track of your Invisalign tray at all times and how to reduce the chance of losing it.
- Invest in a couple of Invisalign cases – keep one in a safe place at home and use one for outings such as public dining. At Nikaeen Orthodontics, we give our patients two Invisalign cases at no charge so that we may help them form good habits.
- Do NOT place your removed tray in a napkin at a restaurant – this is a surefire way to leave it behind. You will likely forget you’ve placed it in the napkin and the waitstaff will toss it once you’ve left the restaurant.
- Since the Invisalign trays should be worn 22 hrs/ day, only remove your trays to eat/ drink or brush your teeth.
- If an Invisalign tray is lost, wear your tray from the previous treatment stage in order to hold the teeth in place until a new aligner is made.
- Call us immediately if a tray is lost, so that we may order you a replacement tray as soon as possible.
Make wearing your Invisalign tray the required 22 hours a day a habit and do not skip trays even if you lose one. Take it as a lesson learned and pay for a new one; each tray moves your teeth gradually and you need to keep it in for two weeks before you can advance to the next stage. Prematurely moving to the next stage will negatively affect your teeth. They won’t be ready for that next stage because they won’t be in the right position.
