(269) 349-9684
Email Us
Patient Forms

Retainers

Start Today!

Living with Retainers

Now that your treatment has been completed and appliances have been removed, you should schedule a cleaning and checkup appointment with your dentist. Retainers support the teeth in their corrected positions and guide them into the established occlusion. Failure to wear the retainers, even for a short time, may cause a rapid relapse; therefore, observe the following instructions:

Care and Use of Hawley Retainers

  1. Your retainers should be worn at all times. It is only necessary to remove your retainers while brushing your teeth. When you brush your teeth after every meal, brush your retainers with your toothbrush and toothpaste. DO NOT use extremely hot water when cleaning. You may soak them in retainer or denture cleaning tablets if desired.
  2. Wearing your retainers while eating is optional, but encouraged. If you wish to remove your retainers, make sure they are placed in their protective case and stored in a safe place. NEVER wrap your retainers in a napkin or tissue or place them unprotected in your pocket. Someone may throw them away unknowingly, or they could be broken. Wearing the retainers while eating minimizes the potential for retainer loss.
  3. Do not play with the retainers with your tongue, such as “flipping” them in and out excessively, as this can cause wire breakage. A special place should be set aside for your retainers. They should not be left haphazardly around the house. Dogs love to use retainers as chew toys! Keep them in their protective case when they are out of your mouth.
  4. Take care of your retainers! Considerable time and effort is needed to make new ones and there is a replacement charge to do so. If one is bent, come in immediately and have it adjusted. If a retainer is lost or broken beyond repair, a replacement charge will be assessed.
  5. In the event of prolonged irritation to the gums, lips, cheeks or tongue, do not attempt to adjust your retainers yourself; instead, call the office for an appointment. Call for an appointment immediately if your retainer becomes damaged.
  6. You will be asked to return periodically during your retention supervision phase of treatment which lasts for approximately two years. During this time, you will be instructed as to when it is appropriate to wear your retainers only at night.
  7. Following the completion of retention supervision, your retainers should be saved and worn at night on an “as necessary” basis INDEFINITELY to minimize any potential for future undesirable tooth movement.

Care and Use of Invisalign Retainers

  1. Initially, the retainers must be worn at all times, except when eating.
  2. When you brush your teeth after every meal, brush your retainers with your toothbrush and toothpaste. DO NOT use extremely hot water when cleaning. You may soak them in retainer or denture cleaning tablets if desired.
  3. When the retainers are out of your mouth, put them in their protective case and keep them in a safe place. Never wrap them in a napkin or tissue or place them in a pocket unprotected. Someone may throw them away unknowingly or they could be broken. A special place should be set aside for your retainers. They should not be left haphazardly around the house. Dogs often chew up retainers.
  4. Take care of your retainers! Considerable time and effort is needed to make new ones and there is a replacement charge to do so. If one is bent, come in immediately and have it adjusted. If a retainer is lost or broken beyond repair, a replacement charge will be assessed.
  5. In the event of prolonged irritation to the gums, lips, cheeks or tongue, do not attempt to adjust your retainers yourself; instead, call the office for an appointment. Call for an appointment immediately if your retainer becomes damaged.
  6. You will be asked to return periodically during the retention supervision phase of treatment for approximately two years. During this time, you will be instructed as to when it is appropriate to wear your retainers only at night. If you miss a few nights, wear the retainers full time and make sure to seat them completely. Your teeth may be a little sore, but should realign in a short period of time. If they do not, call for an appointment.
  7. It is recommended that your retainers be saved following the completion of retention supervision. This way, they may be worn at night on an “as necessary” basis INDEFINITELY to minimize any potential for future undesirable tooth movement.