All About Retainers

When you get your braces off, you get a retainer to keep them in place the first few months when they might move back.

There is the classic retainer which is one wire that fits around the front of your teeth while it is connected to a plastic customizable piece that fits over the roof and bottom of your mouth. This retainer is very fragile and very expensive to replace, so always put it in a safe place when you take them out. For this type of retainer, you take them out when you eat and when you brush your teeth.

Cleaning your retainer: Clean your wire retainer often, but do not boil it! This will warp the plastic part of it. Instead soak it in vinegar, and then brush it thoroughly with your tooth brush.

Before you put your retainer back in, brush your teeth thoroughly and floss your teeth. Then brush your retainer carefully. This prevents the build up of plaque on your retainer which, similar to plaque on your teeth, causes bad breath and is just plain nasty after a while.

All this being said about cleaning, we’d recommend not even wearing your retainer out to eat so that you will avoid the problem in the first place. This will also help to prevent you from losing it and the need to brush your teeth before putting it back in.

In my (Amanda) experience, I received a
temporary, clear fitted retainer that was an exact mold of my teeth. You couldn't even see this one when I had it on. I wore this one until I got my normal retainers made later. Again, if you get this retainer, it is very fragile. Brush this retainer a lot, since it holds plaque and food really well.

Another tip is when you’re wearing either retainer; don’t play with them in your mouth. This looks kind of funny to other people and you increase the risk of breaking it.

We know that your orthodontist has probably told you this already, but, similar to headgear and bands, you just need to diligently wear your retainer!

-Amanda and Erik