Retainer Instructions

Retainers are an important part of post treatment to maintain your new beautiful smile! They are so important; we give you 2 sets!

For the first three months after your braces come off retainers will need to be worn ALL the time. They should not be worn when eating, brushing, or playing contact sports. We will bring you back for a 3-month retainer check appointment, and at that point you will be told nightwear is sufficient to maintain your smile! One final retainer appointment will be 9 months after you have been debanded. At that appointment, we ALWAYS check your existing retainers.

• It is important to keep your retainers clean. When you brush your teeth, clean your retainers with a Q-tip and liquid soap. DO NOT use your toothbrush to clean your retainers, as it could dull the invisible appearance of them when you wear them. We have also given you samples of retainer cleaner that we strongly recommend purchasing as it will kill bacteria and keep your retainers crystal clear. When you start wearing your retainers at night, feel free to soak them in the solution all day!
• ALWAYS keep your retainers in their case when they are not in your mouth to prevent breaking them or accidentally throwing them away!
• Pet's LOVE retainers and will chew them if they are left out of the case.
• Avoid leaving your retainers in the hot car, and certainly don't boil them, because the heat will distort them.

As time goes on, we recommend wearing your retainers at least 2-3 nights a week for the REST OF YOUR LIFE to keep your smile perfect! If your retainers are tight once you put them in, it means your teeth are trying to move. Do not let that stop you from wearing them! Simply, wear your retainers a few extra hours before bed or some extra nights during the week until they feel comfortable again. It is a good insurance policy, as we like to say!

If your retainers are lost or broken, call our office immediately.