What Triggers a Loss of Button Notification?
A Loss of Button notification is generated when a buccal or palatal/lingual button is completely missing compared with a previous scan. The system requires at least one previous scan for comparison, so a Loss of Button notification is never generated on the first scan.
Buttons are auxiliaries that may be used in both aligner and braces cases. They can be made of different materials, including metal, ceramic, or composite.
Important considerations
Buttons are analyzed on both permanent and primary (baby) teeth.
A Loss of Button notification is not generated when the aligner structure no longer has the cut-out that allows the button to be bonded to the tooth.
Some aligners have buttons built into the aligner structure. If this structure is damaged or lost, the system will generate an Aligner Damage notification rather than a Loss of Button notification.
Partially damaged buttons (ex: if the button is damaged but the base remains bonded to the tooth): a Loss of Button notification is generated.
How long is the notification sent?
When a Loss of Button notification is triggered for a specific tooth, the system will send the notification for up to two consecutive scans. After two consecutive notifications, no further alerts will be generated for that tooth.
This approach helps reduce alert fatigue while still encouraging timely clinical action.
New buttons added mid-treatment:
No action is required from the office. The system will automatically recognize these new buttons.
When a patient starts refinement, we recommend resetting the aligner number to 1 or starting a new monitoring period. This helps minimize unnecessary button loss alerts.
If you have further questions, feedback or notice any inconsistencies, please reach out to your Customer Experience Team via live chat or email us at support@dental-monitoring.com.