10 Important Points About Retainers

1. Wear your retainer at ALL TIMES unless instructed otherwise.
2. Do not wear your retainer when exercising or participating in sports including swimming.
3. Remove your retainer when you brush your teeth. Also, brush and rinse your retainer daily. If further cleaning is needed, use a denture cleaner such as Efferdent and follow the instructions on the package. DO NOT BOIL your retainer or soak it in mouthwash as it could distort the way the retainer fits.
4. Most patients prefer to remove their retainers for eating. When your retainer is not in your mouth, ALWAYS place it in a retainer case! Many retainers are lost when they are wrapped in napkins and accidentally thrown away.
5. The retainer case provided by our office is made of hard plastic and is designed to keep your retainer safe when you are not wearing it. Call our office if you need a new case.
6. Dogs like to chew retainers! Remember that your dog can’t chew your retainer if it is in your mouth or your retainer case.
7. Do not flip your retainer in and out with your tongue since this could weaken the wires and eventually cause breakage and poor fit.
8. Please call for an appointment as soon as possible if you cannot wear your retainer; for instance if it is lost, broken, or does not fit properly.
9. If you do need a new retainer we must make a new impression for the replacement to be made. There will be a fee for any new or repaired retainer.
10. Wearing your retainer properly will maintain the alignment of your teeth. SHIFTING MAY RESULT IF RETAINERS ARE NOT WORN CONSISTENTLY! Please wear your retainer as instructed.