Your beautiful new smile is meant to last a lifetime. Wearing your retainer after braces or Invisalign® treatment is how you ensure that!
Once your new smile is revealed, you’ll start wearing your custom retainer to lock in your results.
What does a retainer do?
Your retainer plays the key role of holding your teeth in their new positions to prevent them from ‘relapsing’. When your braces are removed, or you take your Invisalign out for the last time, your teeth are susceptible to ‘orthodontic relapse’ (reverting back to their original, pre-treatment positions.)
Your new smile requires a period of retention to ensure that it stabilizes and maintains the new alignment.
Did you know..…
Your teeth can start to shift after just a few days to a week of not wearing your retainer.
Take the first step.
Retainer Care
Retainer Do’s
- Do put your retainer in its case every time you remove it from your mouth.
- Do wear your retainer as often as instructed to protect your smile investment and preserve all of your hard work!
- Do clean your retainer case regularly. You can use a mild soap and lukewarm water to wash your retainer case daily, or at least a few times a week.
- Do reach out to us as soon as possible if you lose your retainer.
Retainer Don’ts
- Don’t expose your retainers to heat! Your retainer can melt or warp and become ineffective. Don’t put them in the dishwasher; don’t use hot water on them; and don’t leave them in your car.
- Don’t leave your retainer around your pets. You don’t want to find out how much they love chewing retainers!
- Don’t place your retainer in a napkin, or on your plate! These often end up in the trash.
Cleaning Your Retainer
- Every time you take your retainer out of your mouth, give it a rinse with lukewarm or cold water. This helps prevent plaque and bacteria buildup.
- Every time you brush your teeth, clean your retainer with an extra soft-bristled toothbrush too! You can use a mild antibacterial soap and cold water.
- A few times a week, soak your retainer in a cleaning solution (like Invisalign™ Cleaning Crystals or RetainerBrite) to disinfect your retainer. You can also use white distilled vinegar (1:1 water and vinegar.)
Before & Afters
A smile is worth 1,000 words.
FAQs
How long do retainers last?
Whether your teeth moved after braces years later or just months later, the reason behind it is the same:
The bone and tissues that support your teeth have minds of their own. Our bodies are constantly moving, growing and readjusting throughout life. Without the guidance of your retainer holding your teeth in the new positions we created, your teeth will continue moving and readjusting.
Retainers help stabilize your teeth in their new positions, allowing the surrounding bone and tissues to adapt and retain the changes.
If I stopped wearing my retainer, and it doesn’t fit now, what do I do?
If your retainer doesn’t snap into place without forcing it in, please do NOT try to make it fit. This can break your retainer - or worse, damage your smile. It’s important that you reach out to us, let us know that your retainer no longer fits, and we can discuss next steps!
Why do teeth shift without a retainer?
Whether your teeth moved after braces years later or just months later, the reason behind it is the same:
The bone and tissues that support your teeth have minds of their own. Our bodies are constantly moving, growing and readjusting throughout life. Without the guidance of your retainer holding your teeth in the new positions we created, your teeth will continue moving and readjusting.
Retainers help stabilize your teeth in their new positions, allowing the surrounding bone and tissues to adapt and retain the changes.