For the first 6 months out of treatment, wearing your retainer full time (20 hours a day/night) is required. If you have the clear style retainers or wire style retainers, wear those full time. If you have both the clear style and wire style, it is your choice in which ones you wear. Clear during the day and wire at night is usually our recommendation in order to make sure both styles continue to fit correctly. If you prefer one style over the other, then wear the one you prefer to ensure you are getting the 20 hours of needed wear each day. Be advised that stopping the wear of one style will cause fit issues since they are not being worn.

After 6 months, you are most often able to go to 12-hour wear each day. Again, wearing the style that is most comfortable for you. If you feel like your retainer is tight, then that means you need to wear it more. This can be a sign of your teeth trying to shift out of place. A tight retainer will only get tighter over time and lead to it not fitting and shifting with your teeth. Continue 12-hour wear for these next 6 months.

After one year of retention, wearing a retainer while sleeping is required. Maintaining a schedule of most nights a week is best. Never stop wearing your retainer unless you are comfortable with allowing shifting of your teeth to happen.

Cleaning your retainers will require daily cleaning with retainer-safe products, toothbrush, hand soap, toothpaste, foam cleaners, ultrasonic pods, etc. Do not use hot water or disinfect them with boiling water or the dishwasher. Never leave them in your car, due to any extreme temperature like hot or cold which will distort the retainer. Do not flip the retainers out with your tongue or bite them into place. This will cause distortion in the material and fit issues. Only use your fingers to place them and remove them. Do not eat anything and drink only water if wearing your retainers.

If you are relying on a clear retainer for your only retention, periodically it will need to be replaced. This is patient-dependent on how often due to individual wear and tear. It may be every year or up to every three years. The retainer may start to feel loose, get cracked or distorted, or discolored. All of these issues require replacement and have a charge associated with them.

A wire style retainer may need adjustments to ensure a correct fit. Please follow up with our office to have the retainer adjusted as needed. Many times the wire style retainers will last many years before requiring complete replacement. Retainers are like any other personal item worn daily – they will wear out and that is dependent on each patient individually. All replacement repairs, for whatever reason of replacement, will have a charge associated with them.

If you have a bonded style retainer in place, it is recommended that you see your dentist every 6 months for an exam. In rare cases, bonded retainers that come loose or habits like tongue thrusting can cause tipping of the lower teeth or other movement of teeth. A bonded retainer may need repairs and there is no guarantee for fit or prevention of movement of teeth. A loose bonded retainer can be very hard to feel, so having regular dental visits will help in spotting issues early. Any repair to a bonded retainer will have a charge associated with it. With a bonded retainer in place, you will still need to stick to the no sticky foods, no ice chewing, no biting fingernails or into items with your front teeth, and do not use toothpicks or pull on the retainer when cleaning it.

Ordering additional retainers is an option and always recommended! We can provide very cost-effective additional clear style retainers. These make a great backup in the case of any style retainer being lost or broken. Wire style retainers can also be made in multiple; however, due to their handmade nature, their cost remains higher per retainer. Also, ordering additional clear retainers allows us to keep a digital scan of your teeth for future ease of reordering as long as there has been no shifting of the teeth or time more than a few days of missed retainer wear.

Retention is a huge commitment that is your responsibility! Missed days/nights of wear or wearing ill-fitting retainers will ultimately cause shifting of your teeth. The shifting might be mild and not noticeable, or it could eventually lead to alignment concerns requiring additional treatment. There is no way to guarantee that shifting will not occur after treatment is completed, but following these recommendations will provide you with the best plan possible! Also, monitoring of your wisdom teeth, if they are still present, and referral for extractions will be done by your general dentist. We are here to support you with your retention phase of treatment, so call or text us any time there is a concern!

Share Joy and Smile Bright! -Olson Orthodontics