About Retainers
Retainers are key for maintaining your new smile in life after braces! After you complete orthodontic treatment, we’ll make a custom set of retainers to help keep your teeth in place. It’s important to follow your orthodontist’s instructions and wear your retainers as instructed following treatment. If you don’t wear your retainers as instructed, your teeth will shift over time which could lead to needing braces or Invisalign again in the future to correct misalignment.
Wearing Retainers
When you first put your retainers in your mouth, your speech might be slightly altered. Don’t worry, this is only temporary. The more you wear them, the faster your tongue will adapt to the retainers.
When you first get your braces off, the only times that your retainers should be out of your mouth are when you are eating, brushing your teeth, or wearing a mouth guard for sports. When it is not in your mouth, it should always be in the retainer case. Never put your retainer in a napkin or leave it laying on the counter. It should either be ”in your face or in the case!” Your orthodontist will let you know when it is time to wear the retainers, but only at nighttime. The timing of this step depends on how well you do with wearing your retainers.
What To Avoid With Retainers
Do not clean your retainers with harsh cleaning products,
dish soap, or even toothpaste!
Do not rinse your retainers with hot or boiling water!
Do not put your retainers in the dishwasher!
Lifetime Retainer Program
Life happens. That’s why we have our Spark Lifetime Retainer Program*. Let us help you protect your investment of a beautiful smile through our Lifetime Retainer Program! The Spark Lifetime Retainer Program is a no-brainer since it pays for itself after just two replacements. We build the charge into your orthodontic treatment fee if you opt into the program, so you don’t have to worry about large, upfront charges. Patients can get up to four replacement retainers per calendar year, so if you lose your retainer, you’re scot-free! Retainers can cost anywhere from $300 to $600 per set. Get protected with the Spark Lifetime Retainer Program!
Dr. Hartman: “Where are your retainers? Lost at school? Are they in the trashcan? Did your dog eat them? Something bad probably happened to them or will happen to them, so let us help you protect your investment of a beautiful smile through our Spark Lifetime Retainer Program. Tiffany is going to talk to you a little about that and what that entails.”
Tiffany: “So our lifetime retainer program program is really great. It definitely protects your investment. The charge is already built into your treatment fee, so you don’t have to worry about those big upfront charges. You get up to four replacement retainers per calendar year and it pays for itself because if you lose two retainers, two sets of retainers, you’re paying way more than the Lifetime Retainer Fee.”
Dr. Hartman: ” So there’s a lifetime savings probably after the first couple years?”
Tiffany: “Yeah, definitely.”
Dr. Hartman: “So stop paying $300, $400, $500, $600 for one set of retainers to other orthodontists or to your dentist and have a that protection with the Spark Lifetime Retainer Program.”
How To Take Care of Your Retainers
If taken care of correctly, retainers will last a lifetime. Here are some tips to help you take care of your retainers:
Cleaning Your Retainer We recommend that you clean your retainers twice a day by gently brushing them with cold or lukewarm water. Brushing will remove plaque and bacteria, as well as eliminate odors. It’s okay to soak them in denture cleaner once in a while to freshen them. If they get really yucky, you can soak them for an hour in a 50/50 solution of white vinegar/water to loosen up any particles that might be adhering to your retainers. Then, gently brush and rinse them.
You can also buy retainer or mouthguard cleaning tablets to make your retainer trays minty fresh! Just put your retainers in a small bowl filled with warm water to clean your retainers each morning. You can also use a soft-bristled toothbrush to give your retainers a deeper cleanse. Brush them thoroughly and give them a quick rinse.
Retainers are actually quite fragile! Dropping them, stepping on them, throwing them, or excessively playing with them can cause them to crack or break. If they are properly taken care of, your retainers can last for many years. Be careful with your retainers- they are expensive to replace!
Did you lose your retainers? If your retainers are lost or broken, please call our office during regular business hours to schedule an appointment to be fitted for a new retainer. Remember to bring your retainers to your retainer check appointments. Your Orthodontist will need to check to see how they are fitting, and they will require adjustments from time to time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Retainers
Contact our office to schedule an appointment to come in for a new retainer. Ask about our Lifetime Retainer Program- it protects the investment of your smile so you spend less out of pocket replacing retainers over the years when accidents happen.
We recommend cleaning your retainer two times per day by brushing them gently with lukewarm or cold water. This will freshen your retainers, keeping them free from odors. You can also soak your retainer with a denture cleaner or retainer tablet in water to get them extra clean.
When you first get your braces off, you should always be wearing your retainer with the exception of when you are eating, brushing your teeth, or wearing a mouth guard for sports. Your orthodontist will let you know when it is time to wear the retainers, but only at nighttime. The timing of this step depends on how well you do with wearing your retainers.
We have a saying, if your retainer isn’t in your face, it should be in the case! Using your retainer case will help prevent losing your retainer and keep pets from getting a hold of them.
Retainers help keep your teeth from shifting after your braces are removed. If you don’t wear a retainer, you’ll find that your teeth relapse and move over time, undoing what the orthodontic treatment corrected.
There are two types of retainers, permanent, also known as bonded retainers, and removable, or fixed, retainers. Permanent retainers are not removed from the mouth and are bonded to the back of the teeth.
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