Retainers
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- Your teeth are guaranteed to shift over time if your retainers are not worn as prescribed.
- Retainers should be worn for your lifetime; if they are, you can keep your teeth straight and beautiful!
- After your braces come off, wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise.
- Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud to get used to them faster.
- Take your retainers out when eating, and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunchrooms or at restaurants when they are left on a tray, wrapped in a napkin, and thrown away.)
- Remove retainers when swimming.
- Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and pets (they love to chew on retainers!)
- Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque, and eliminates odors. Efferdent or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used, but do not take the place of brushing. Ask Dr. Freeman about purchasing an inexpensive ultrasonic retainer cleaner to help keep your retainers clean.
- Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken call us immediately to prevent shifting of your teeth.
- If you notice that your permanent retainer has become loose from one of your teeth, call us so that it can be repaired. If it is left loose, your teeth can shift.
- If you have any questions or concerns about your retainers, or your retainers need adjusting, do not try to adjust them yourself, call us.
- Always bring your retainers to your appointments.
- Retainer replacement is expensive; with proper care they will last for years!