When we remove your braces, we will begin the retention stage of your treatment. The retention phase lasts for a minimum of 24 months. Your final orthodontic result depends on your retainers, so follow through with the hard work you’ve put in so far. Remember to remove your retainer before brushing, and brush your retainer before placing it back in your mouth.
Removable Retainers
Maxillary wrap-around retainers are your upper retainers, which are removable. You must be very careful when handling your upper retainers, as they are fragile and costly to replace. You are given a special case for your retainer; please make sure you keep them in this case when not wearing it! To clean these retainers, brush them with toothpaste (sometimes with denture cleaner) using warm water.
Your retainers should be worn at all times with the exception of eating and brushing your teeth. Your retainer should also be removed when participating in sports that require a mouthguard or while swimming. After 12 months of full-time wear, we may revise your retention treatment, allowing the retainer to strictly be worn at night.
Your final orthodontic result depends on your retainers, so follow through with the hard work you’ve put in so far.
Retention is a very important part of orthodontic treatment in that it holds your teeth in the corrected position until the teeth stabilize.
The fact is that throughout your lifetime, even though you have had orthodontic treatment, you can expect changes in tooth position. Many factors at work may cause teeth to shift. Such changes vary from individual to individual and most of the time they are hardly noticeable. But on occasion changes occur that are disappointing to both the patient and the orthodontist. Changes in tooth position are not a failure of your orthodontic treatment but are a natural process. We expect changes in our bodies as we grow older, and teeth are no exception. To help control and limit these changes, retainers are prescribed after your braces are removed.
There are many types and designs of both upper and lower retainers. Dr. Costanza will prescribe custom retainers that will be the best for you, but retainers can only do their jobs if you do yours by wearing them as instructed.
