Retainer Instructions

Retainer Instructions for patients who have finished comprehensive orthodontic treatment

Congratulations on your beautiful smile!

We hope you love your new smile. It was truly a pleasure caring for you. Now that you have completed the active phase of your orthodontic treatment, the retention phase begins. Information you need to know about this phase of treatment is outlined below. Following these guidelines will help you maintain the beautiful smile that we all worked so hard to achieve.

Please follow these instructions very carefully: For the first 2 months after your treatment has been completed, it is important to wear your retainers at all times EXCEPT:

• When you are eating
• When you are cleaning your retainers and/or brushing your teeth
• During activities where they could be dislodged causing you to choke on them
• For a few hours, when you are doing something very special with friends or family.
• Remove retainers when swimming.

Initially, you may find it difficult to speak; practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud to get used to them faster.

For the following 6 months, wear your retainers all hours you are home and while you are sleeping.

Beginning in 7 months, wear your retainers enough to keep your teeth straight. Most of the time, sleeping time is enough but you will have the ultimate responsibility to decide what length of time is enough to maintain the beautiful smile we all worked so hard for.

Dr. Crawford will NEVER give her patients permission to STOP wearing their retainers. Everything on our body ages, including our teeth. Wearing retainers as prescribed lessens the effects of aging and is reported to maintain approximately 90% of your treatment result.

If you have dental work done that changes the shape of your teeth to the point that your retainers don’t fit properly, the retainers must be replaced immediately. Despite what others may say, it is not okay to stop wearing your retainers while other dental work (crowns, veneers, bridges) is being done.

Please protect your orthodontic result by contacting our office before you plan changes to your teeth. We will need to inform you of the potential costs involved in replacement of your retainers as well as the sequence of events that will be needed.

Clean your retainers daily with a toothbrush and cold water using liquid hand soap. Toothpaste will make the retainers foggy and brittle. Once weekly, soak your retainers in a container and one tablet of Retainer Brite. We’ll supply your first box to get you started. Additional packages can be purchased in our office or ordered online from www.Smileshop.com. If the aligners become stained, and the Retainer Brite does not clean them you can soak them for ten minutes in a half cup of room temperature water with TEN drops of household bleach. RINSE the retainers THOROUGHLY with cold water to remove all the bleach before placing them back in your mouth.

ALWAYS keep your retainers in their case when they are not in your mouth to avoid damaging or misplacing them. Never store your retainers for any length of time in a place warmer than your mouth (Ex. vehicle’s glove compartment). Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If you lose or break your retainers, contact us IMMEDIATELY. New impressions may be needed to create a new set.  The receptionist can give you a price range when you contact us for an appointment.

Remember, it is important to bring your retainers to all of your appointments.

GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, AND SMILE BIG!!