Life happens. It’s a rare aligner patient who doesn’t at some point suffer a mishap with one of their trays.  

But given that Murphy’s Law tells us what can go wrong, will go wrong, we can box clever and prepare ahead of time. You know, if your aligner snaps, the irony will be that's it’s right at the start of a bank holiday, right? And, even with the best will in the world, caught between your boss, the lab’s next available slot to make you another aligner and the delivery company, it could be days ... 

Solution one: Every time you move on a tray, keep the last aligner tray. It's tempting in the moment to have a little sayonara party as you try to race to the Hollywood smile finish line, but that old faithful tray might be your treatment plan saver if your current aligner tray snaps. It will at the very least retain your progress so far.  

Solution two: Depending on what day you were up to with your damaged tray, you might get a pass from your orthodontist to move onto your next tray. It’s a rare ideal scenario if that happens. Thank your lucky stars and give your aligner some extra effervescent cleaning love to celebrate!

Gather the ‘first aid’ essentials for those it's all gone belly up for my aligner tray moments. If you’ve managed to wear your broken aligner but it’s rubbed your soft tissues, you won’t want to be searching the high street for medical grade care when a piece of snapped plastic is digging into your inside cheek. Ouch! 

Solution: Know your helpful care kit and have it to hand for sore soft tissues: 

• Say hello to orthodontic wax. It might be something you thought only fixed brace users employ, but in fact, it can be useful for any sharp edges on oral appliances – like your aligner. Soften a piece of wax between your fingers and mould it around any troublesome edges of your aligner. Ooh, that is better! It could be just the ticket to keep you wearing your aligner, preventing you losing progress and slowing your treatment plan down.  
• If you’ve ended up with a sore patch on your inner cheek or gum, try Gengigel to support rapid healing. Its hyaluronic acid supports your body’s natural healing response. 
• If you’re using our Aligners Daily Care Kit, you’re already being helpful to your soft tissues. You’ll already know VITIS Orthodontic Toothpaste and VITIS Orthodontic Mouthwash both contain allantoin which stimulates cells for healing and protects with an anti-irritant effect. In addition, aloe vera promotes healing and helps to hydrate tissues. Keep up with brushing and rinsing.
• VITIS Orthodontic Mouthwash is alcohol free so there’ll be none of that nasty sting you get with other mouthwashes when your oral tissues are feeling tender. No ooh-ahh dance for you at rinsing time. See? We’ve thought of everything!

Moving back to an old aligner tray, or skipping ahead to a new one, could place more pressure on your teeth than usual, creating unexpected discomfort.  

Solution one: It’s time to go back to basics on what to do if your aligner is causing pain or your gums become inflamed with the new unexpected pressure. Ice cold water could be key. Remember, pain killers, taken according to pack instructions, can ease aligner pain and your Aligners Daily Care Kit comes with a Monotip Brush, excellent for massaging swollen gums, as well as for plaque removal. That bad boy can multi-task! 

Solution two: Mitigate the discomfort and support your treatment plan by sticking to soft food until your new (or is that old?) aligner tray settles down, or your replacement one arrives. Sounds like an excuse to eat your favourite luxury yoghurt to us!

Small hairline cracks don’t always stop an aligner from working, but if your aligner’s split, jagged, or no longer fits securely, you’ll need to speak to your orthodontic team.  

While it all might look straight forward to put things right with a bit of random glue and a nail file, any DIY with ‘tools’ you think could do the job is a no-no. You could make the situation worse and adhesives in the mouth aren’t advisable. 

Solution one: If the aligner is still wearable but you need to soften a sharp edge, use orthodontic wax, also known brace wax. You’ll still need to call your orthodontist, but at least you’ll get through that meeting and a good night’s sleep in the meantime. 

Solution two: If your soft tissues got caught in the crossfire, remember that Gengigel is our trusted rapid healing solution that supports with hyaluronic acid. It will help with ulcers and lesions. You’re already smarting from your aligner being damaged, no point in suffering with sore oral tissues as well if you don’t have to!

When we get confident with wearing aligners, we can become a little blase with how to do the best for those hard-working pieces of kit. It helps to remind ourselves that they’re trojans going into battle for our future smile so we need to keep looking after them.  

Solution: reduce the risks  

• Always remove aligners before eating 
• Store them in their case, not a pocket or bag, when not in use (we’ve all done it!) 
• Clean them gently with lukewarm water - never hot water, which can warp the plastic - and a VITIS Effervescent Tablet in suitable soaking bath   
• Avoid bending or clicking them in and out aggressively – let an aligner retriever tool take the strain.