Congratulations!

You have reached an important goal: a healthy bite and beautiful smile!

Why do we need retainers?

Retainers are used to maintain the alignment of your teeth and your bite in their corrected positions until stability is achieved.

When should retainers be worn?

Retainers will be worn 8 hours per day, usually while sleeping.

What can be expected?

If you have any soreness or tightness, leave the retainer in your mouth and you will feel comfortable very soon. The retainers’ plastic taste will disappear quickly and your speech will return to normal after a few days.

If you have to remove your retainer:

Always put it in its case.
If you do not have your case, keep your retainer in your mouth!
Do not wrap them in a napkin or put them in your pocket.
Keep retainers away from pets; they love to chew them!

Helpful Hints

Clean your retainers by brushing them with toothpaste and cool water every day.
Each week, clean them more thoroughly with Retainer Brite or a denture cleanser.
When using these cleansers, use only cool water, not hot.
Place retainers gently using your fingers, do not bite them into place.
Bring your retainers with you to every appointment.
Take good care of them, because there’s a charge to replace lost retainers.

Loose retainers?

A loose retainer is acceptable because it means your teeth are not shifting.

Tight retainers?

A tight retainer means your teeth are shifting and you need to wear your retainer more consistently. If a retainer becomes so tight that you cannot wear it, please call our office.