Congratulations! You’ve made it through the orthodontic process! Now that your teeth are properly positioned and your appliances have been removed, it will be necessary to use retainers to maintain their corrected position. Be sure to wear them as prescribed by your doctor. Here are a few things to remember about your retainers:
- In the beginning the retainer will taste strange and you will find it difficult to talk with them in place. With a little practice and patience on your part, you will adjust to the retainers within a few days.
- Clean your retainers by scrubbing them carefully with a toothbrush under cool or warm water. When you brush your teeth, be especially careful to brush the roof of your mouth. For additional cleaning use a denture cleaner (e.g. Polident) for 15 minutes every other day to remove stains and odors. Rinse the retainer in warm water after soaking it in denture cleaner. (Hot water can warp the retainer.)
- Handle your retainer with care. Follow the instructions given to you when inserting and removing the retainer. Flipping or playing with your retainer with your tongue weakens the wires and they will eventually break.
- Most retainers are lost when they are removed at mealtime. Wrapping a retainer with a napkin usually results in loss or damage. A retainer box is the best holder.
- Animals love retainers and will chew them before you can retrieve it. A retainer box is your best insurance to prevent this from happening.
- If you do lose or break your retainer, call the office promptly so that a new one can be constructed before your teeth shift. There is an Additional Charge of $200.00 for the first replacement, and $200.00 for each additional replacement.
- Appointments during the retention period will be spaced at increasing time intervals. You MUST continue to appear for these appointments, as they are very important.
- Please bring retainers to all appointments. We never recommend throwing your retainers out. They should be tried in once in awhile after your active retention period is complete.
Your doctor may recommend the placement of a fixed retainer, or “lingual wire”. A lingual wire is a small segment of wire that is attached to the inside of the front teeth. The lingual wire is designed to maintain your teeth in their corrected position, and requires special attention. Care should be taken to clean the wire and the inside of your front teeth daily using a toothbrush and floss threader.