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. We know from experience that retainers are essential through the high school years, until growth is complete, for the best possible results.
When should retainers be worn?
The upper and lower retainers will be worn 12 hours a day until your next visit. At that point, your teeth and retainers will be checked for stability and you will be given further instructions.
What can be expected?
If you have any soreness or tightness, leave the retainers 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.
When can they be left out?
Retainers may be removed during eating, tooth brushing or contact sports.
If you have to remove your retainers
- Always put them in their case
- If you do not have your case, keep your retainers 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
- Every week, clean them more thoroughly with Retainer Brite or a denture cleanser
- When using these cleansers, use only cool water, not hot
- Do not flip the retainers with your tongue, because this could damage them
- Bring your retainers with you to every appointment
Loose retainers?
A loose retainer is okay because it means that your teeth are not shifting.
Tight retainers?
A tight retainer means your teeth are shifting and you need to wear your retainer more. If a retainer becomes so tight that you can’t wear it, please call our office.
Be careful!
Please take good care of your retainers; there is a replacement charge if lost, which is another good reason to take good care of your retainers!
Attention, Athletes!
Ask us about our custom-made mouthguards for contact sports.