Having your braces removed is an exciting appointment. You are now entering a very important and essential phase of your orthodontic treatment. Welcome to Retention!
During this phase you will wear retainers custom made for your teeth to maintain the correction and tooth movement that you have achieved during your treatment. Many people are surprised to hear that teeth are dynamic and can continue to move through out your life time. This means that even though your teeth are straight when the braces are removed, not wearing your retainers as instructed may allow relapse or once straight teeth to become crowded or spaced. At your deband (Braces Removal) appointment, the orthodontist will give you specific instructions on how to wear your new retainers. In many cases it is recommended that retainers are worn from after school until morning, removing them for eating and brushing your teeth. Total daily wear time should add up to about 15 hours per day.
Retainers are small and easy to misplace. If they are not being worn, your retianer should be stored in your retainer case. Wrapping retainers in a paper towel or a napkin is not recommended, often times this leads to them being thrown away! Pets love the smell of saliva, even the cleanest retainers can be detected by pets. Be sure to keep them out of reach of animals.
Cleaning your retainers each day will help minimize bacteria growth and keep them fresh. Use a toothbrush daily to brush away any food buildup or debris that may collect on the retainers. You may also use a denture cleaning tablet or mouth rinse to soak your retainers. Never boil or heat your retainers, this will cause them to distort.
One year of retainer check appointments are included in your original treatment fees. After this there is an annual office visit fee. Lost or broken retainers will require new impressions to be taken and custom retainers to be remade. Additional fees for these services will apply.