I cannot believe I put my Invisalign trays through the washer and dryer. I’m freaking out!
So far, I have been so meticulous in caring for them. I remove them before and after every meal and keep them safe. But, when I took them out for breakfast yesterday, I must have left them in my robe. You know the rest of the story.
I couldn’t find my trays anywhere as I was getting ready today and realized they have been washed with the laundry.
The good news is they seem okay. They feel a little tight. Are they okay to wear?
-Paula in Nebraska
Paula,
Oh no! That is so unfortunate to hear about your bad luck. It’s not uncommon to hear Invisalign horror stories. Unfortunately, since they are made of plastic, only a little heat can distort them. They can easily bend out of shape when exposed to extreme heat. So, since you mention they are snug, these current aligners may not be usable.
Since Invisalign involves the most precise adjustments, you need to have them checked out. If they are warped, then they could be doing you more harm than good right now. You don’t want them to be impeding the progress that you’ve already made. You run the risk of your next set not fitting.
The best thing to do is stop using them. If you are at the point where you should be switching trays soon, you may be okay. Try them on to see if they fit. If the new set feels snug, that’s okay. At least they will still shift your teeth properly in the projected alignments.
Although, if it’s some time before your next set, you may need to have the damaged set replaced. Go ahead and wear your previous set until you can get these current trays replaced.
Either way, it would be good to check in with your Invisalign dentist or cosmetic dentist to ensure all is looking okay to make sure your teeth stabilize between aligners.
Thank you for your question.
This post is sponsored by York PA dentist Donald H. Currie, DMD
Another way you could express your appreciation is by offering to write a testimonial for his practice. This would give him some public recognition and help attract new patients. Details about your dental implant procedure and how he explained it all, would be great too. Patients that may be considering dental implants would be reassured if they read or heard about other dental implant patients that were happy.