Once you are done with the active portion of your treatment, you will be prescribed retainers to maintain your teeth in their optimum position long enough for the bone and soft tissues to stabilize. If you do not wear your retainers as prescribed, your teeth may revert to their original position, this movement can only be corrected with re-treatment. Below you will find instructions on caring for your retainer.

Cleaning Your Retainer
Just like your teeth, your retainer needs to be cleaned regularly to avoid plaque buildup and keep your breath fresh.

The best time to clean your retainer is at soon as you remove it from your mouth so that you do not allow the plaque and debris to harden. To clean your retainer, use a soft bristle toothbrush to clean gently. Do not use toothpaste when cleaning your retainer because it is too abrasive and can scratch the retainer’s surface, making little homes for the bacteria to flourish. Follow-up by rinsing it thoroughly before putting it back in your mouth or storing it in its case.

Helpful Tips:

• Avoid folding your retainer into a napkin or placing it on the table at a restaurant, chances are that it will end up in the trash.
• Refrain from storing your retainer in your pocket, it is prone to being sat on and breaking.
• Remove your retainer when swimming, if it falls out of your mouth, it will be difficult to retrieve.
• Keep your retainer away from small children and animals.
• Even if your retainer is fixed, this does not mean that it will not detach or break if you do not care for it correctly.
• Remember to bring your retainers to your check-up appointment. If anything goes wrong with your retainers (i.e. it doesn’t fit, it’s broken, or it’s lost) please call us ASAP. If your lower bonded retainer wire comes out, keep it and bring it in at your next appointment for rebonding.
• The first set of retainers is included in your treatment fee. Any repair, replacement of your retainer, or rebonding of your lower retainer will generate an additional fee charged to your account.
• Maintain your oral healthby brushing your teeth without your retainers in. Do not boil your retainer or put it in hot water. Brush your retainer with a toothbrush using toothpaste or water.