About Retainers
Once braces or Invisalign treatment ends, retainers hold your teeth in their new position. That retention phase runs at least 24 months, and how consistently a patient wears their retainers is the biggest factor in whether teeth stay put. If retainers aren’t worn as instructed, teeth shift over time, and that can mean braces or aligners all over again.
Wearing Retainers
When you first get your retainers, your speech may feel slightly off. Don’t worry, that’s temporary, and your tongue adapts within a few days. Right after braces come off, retainers should only leave your mouth for eating, brushing, or wearing a mouthguard for sports. Later, once your orthodontist confirms your teeth are holding steady, you’ll transition to wearing retainers at night only. When a retainer isn’t in your mouth, it belongs in its case. Never wrap it in a napkin or leave it on a counter. If it’s not in your face, it’s in the case.
Lifetime Retainer Program
Life happens, and retainers get lost, cracked, and chewed by dogs. The Spark Lifetime Retainer Program protects the investment you made in your smile. Replacement retainers normally cost $300 to $600 per set; the program builds a small charge into your treatment fee and covers up to four replacement retainers per calendar year with just a $20 co-pay each. It pays for itself after two replacements. Ask about enrolling before your braces come off.
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!
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. Permanent retainers, also called fixed or bonded retainers, are attached to the back of the teeth and stay in place. Removable retainers come out for eating and cleaning and live in their case the rest of the time. Your orthodontist will recommend the right type, or combination, for your case.
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*Total maximum value of $900 per calendar year. Eligible only to current or previous Spark Orthodontics patients enrolled in Spark Lifetime Retainer Program. Maximum of four replacement retainers per calendar year. Patient required to pay $20 co-pay due per retainer. No expiration. Only valid at Spark Orthodontics locations. Other exclusions may apply. Jason Hartman, DMD, MS