Invisalign is a popular way to straighten teeth, particularly for those uncomfortable with the “mouthful of metal” look they imagine braces will give them. Invisalign and Invisalign Teen move teeth with the power of braces but with a nearly invisible look. The treatment consists of several clear aligner trays switched out for the next set in line every 1-2 weeks.
What do you do with the old trays when you put in the new trays? At Woodhill Dental Specialties, we get this question often. As treatment proceeds, the number of old trays can build up rapidly. Do you throw away old Invisalign trays? Can you recycle Invisalign trays, or do you need to keep your old Invisalign trays?
Invisalign is the name of the treatment system that is an alternative to traditional metal braces. The system uses custom-created trays made of a mix of plastics and polymers to fit your teeth exactly. Using advanced software technology, Invisalign creates several trays that move certain teeth in specific ways. The trays come in sets — one for the upper teeth and one for the lower teeth. The Invisalign software system creates a treatment plan that shows what trays should be worn, when, and for how long.
The patient is given several sets during the start of their treatment, usually up to 5-6 sets, depending on how long each should be worn. The trays usually are worn for 1-2 weeks at a time. The patient wears the first set, then a week or two later switches them out for the next set in the plan. That continues for about six weeks until the patient returns to our office. We check the patient’s progress and give them the next sets of trays that will continue to move their teeth. This continues for 9-15 months until treatment is complete.
If you’re switching out trays weekly, you’ll have quite the buildup of Invisalign trays by the time your treatment is done! What do you do with all the old trays? Throw them out? The answer to that is “no,” and here’s why.
Should the next trays get lost or damaged, we’ll ask you to return to the old ones until the new ones can be replaced so that we can keep your treatment on track. We may also ask you to return to an older set of trays if we feel certain teeth don’t have time to move where they should.
Once your treatment is done, we ask you to keep your last few trays if you lose your clear retainers. You should be able to wear your last Invisalign until the retainers are replaced. That way, you won’t lose that beautiful, new smile.
There’s another good reason not to toss your trays. Technically, they’re considered medical waste, meaning they must be disposed of a certain way for safety reasons. So simply tossing them in the trash is a no-no.
Patients often ask us if they can recycle their old Invisalign trays. There are two problems with this. The first is that the trays are made of a mix of plastics and polymers that are difficult to separate and recycle. The second goes back to what we mentioned — medical waste must be disposed of properly. So don’t toss your trays in the recycle bin. That won’t work.
Some patients like to keep their first and last trays for a before-and-after comparison. As for the rest of the old trays, bring them into Woodhill Dental Specialties if you’re our Invisalign patient in the Dallas, TX, or Rockwall, TX, areas. We’ll be happy to take care of them for you!
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