Retainer Information

Congratulations on finishing your orthodontic treatment! You will now have two sets of retainers.

The first retainers you will receive are temporary "vacuform" retainers. These are clear plastic retainers that will hold everything in place while your permanent retainers are being made. You will wear these at night time only while you sleep. Make sure that you wear them EVERY night! Keep this set of retainers even after you have received your permanent ones, you can use them for a back-up in case your permanent ones are ever lost or broken.

The second retainers you will receive are your permanent retainers. You will wear these every night until the age of 21! Then, after your 21st birthday you will want to slowly reduce the number of nights you wear them until you reach one night per week. Then you will need to wear them for at least one night a week forever if you want your teeth to look as great as they do today!

When you take your retainers out in the morning, brush them with your toothbrush and toothpaste, rinse them off, and make sure they go back in to your retainer case. Twice a week soak your retainers in Efferdent, or a similar cleaner.

The number one cause of broken retainers is PETS! Your retainers smell like you, and your pets love you - so they will carry your retainers off and chew on them. Make sure your retainers are always in your retainer case when they are not in your mouth and that the retainer case is where your pets cannot get to it.

We have all worked hard to make your smile look the way it does today, but it is up to you to keep it that way. Research has shown that if you do not wear your retainers every night until you are 21 and at least one night a week thereafter your teeth will begin to shift. So, keep that smile beautiful and WEAR YOUR RETAINERS!