It happens quickly: the tray comes out, lands in a tissue and vanishes during the clean-up. The next temptation is to skip forward to the next set or return to an old tray based on someone else's advice. Contact your treating team first. The correct next step depends on your stage of treatment and how the teeth are tracking.
Give the clinic a useful message
Include the aligner number, which arch is affected, how long you had worn it and whether you still have the previous set. Explain whether it is missing, cracked or distorted. If there is damage, a clear photograph may help the team decide what assessment is needed. Invisalign's patient guidance directs patients with lost or broken aligners to their provider, who can advise on replacement or the appropriate tray. Do not independently decide the sequence. Invisalign: Patient FAQs
Avoid a DIY repair
Do not glue, heat or reshape a damaged tray. Ask what to wear while waiting and how the interruption affects the change schedule. If you are travelling, include your location and return date so the team can discuss a realistic arrangement. Request confirmation of any replacement fee rather than assuming it is included or excluded.
Make the next loss less likely
Keep the case with you and use it every time the aligner is removed. Choose a consistent place in your bag. A small habit can be more reliable than remembering which napkin is yours.
Does one lost tray mean treatment has failed?
Not automatically. Prompt advice and an adjusted plan, where needed, are more useful than panic. Contact The Curve Dental Solutions if they are your treating provider; otherwise contact the clinician managing your Invisalign course.
Read more in our related patient guide.