Retainers
Your treatment is complete. Right on!
After all of the hard work you dedicate to your braces or Invisalign® treatment, you deserve to love your smile for years to come.
Wearing your retainer is the final (and most important) phase of treatment. It’s up to you to maintain your results through proper retainer wear and care!
What does a retainer do?
Your retainer is worn once your braces or Invisalign treatment is complete, and it plays the key role of holding your teeth in their beautiful new position to prevent them from ‘relapsing’.
Once active orthodontic treatment is complete, your teeth are susceptible to ‘orthodontic relapse’, or reverting back to their original pre-treatment positions. Your teeth require a period of retention to ensure that they stabilize in the proper alignment.
How long will I wear a retainer after braces or Invisalign?
At the beginning of your retention phase, you’ll be instructed to wear your retainer during the day while at home. This is how we achieve and maintain the best results!
Then when you are instructed by your orthodontist, you’ll be able to reduce your wear to nights only. Because teeth have a tendency to shift throughout life, it’s important that you wear your retainer at night, indefinitely.
As we always say, “Night time for a lifetime!”
Retainers
Removable Retainers
We provide Essix and Vivera clear removable retainers along with traditional wire removable orthodontic retainers. The clear removable retainers are similar to Invisalign® clear aligners: clear, practically-invisible, and made out of flexible, high-quality plastic.
Fixed or Permanent Retainers
These retainers include a small metal wire, custom-designed to fit behind the teeth. They’re generally bonded to the back surface of the bottom teeth, but can also be used behind the top teeth depending on your condition.
How much do
retainers cost?
One retainer pair is included with your orthodontic treatment! We don’t charge additional money for your retainer. This cost will be included in the affordable payment plan you choose.
In the event that you lose or break your retainer, there will be a cost to replace or fix it. To prevent this from happening, be sure to care for your retainer properly!
- Place your retainer back in your retainer carrying case every time you remove it from your mouth.
- Don’t place it in a napkin when you eat. Napkin retainers are infamous for ending up in the trash.
- Don’t eat with your retainer in your mouth.
We are also happy to make new dental retainers for anyone who may need one. If your retainer breaks or your permanent retainer comes unglued from one of your teeth, we’ll take care of you!
The 'Do's and Don'ts' of Retainer Wear & Care
Do
- Do put your retainer in your retainer case every time you remove it from your mouth.
- Do clean your retainer every time you brush your teeth. You can use toothpaste or mild dish soap with a toothbrush.
- Do clean your retainer case regularly. You want your clean retainer to be placed back in a clean carrying case every time. You can use a mild soap and lukewarm water to wash your retainer case daily, or at least a few times a week.
- Do soak your retainer in a retainer cleaning solution (like Retainer Brite)
Do not
- Do not expose your retainers to heat! Your retainer can melt or warp and become ineffective, so it’s important that you do not put them in the dishwasher, use hot water on them, or leave them in your car.
- Do not leave your retainer around your pets. You don’t want to find out how much they love chewing retainers!
have questions about Retainers?
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time.
Our team is dedicated to providing the highest quality of personalized care – in a relaxing and positive environment. We bring you a blend of the latest and most efficient orthodontic technology in the area.
