Tips for Caring for Your Retainer

Whether you’ve had Invisalign, clear braces, or traditional braces, you’ll probably need to wear a retainer for a while afterward. Getting your teeth straightened is a big step and takes time and dedication. You want to protect your newly aligned smile, and retainers can help! 

Dr. Shawn Saidian, Dr. Tania Ohebsion, and the entire staff at Century City Smiles want to ensure your healthy and beautiful smile. For our orthodontics patients, that often means correcting a malocclusion or straightening badly aligned teeth—then making sure those corrections stay, usually with the help of a retainer. 

Why you need a retainer

During orthodontic treatment, whether it’s traditional braces, clear braces, or clear aligners, your treatment actively moves your teeth into a different—and better—position. Your personalized treatment plan is designed to correct any dental problems, make it easier to care for your teeth, and give you a gorgeous smile. 

You may not know that your teeth can move even without orthodontic treatment. One of the most common reasons an adult’s teeth move is tooth loss. When you lose a tooth, your other teeth shift around because of the gap. 

But teeth also move over time as you bite, chew, speak, and do all sorts of normal things. A retainer can help prevent these changes. The likelihood of your teeth moving is greatest immediately after your orthodontic treatment, before your tissues have fully stabilized. 

Types of retainers

Not all retainers are the same, and the type that Dr. Ohebsion recommends for you depends on your dental issue, whether you need braces or aligners, your age, and many other factors. 

Some retainers are permanent, which means they are fixed in your mouth. Permanent retainers are custom-made to fit you and placed on the backs of your teeth. 

Removable retainers, made of wire and a plastic-like material, are more common. They can be removed and cleaned. 

Your personalized treatment plan determines whether you need a permanent or removable retainer and for how long. 

Tips for caring for your retainer

The following tips will help you use your retainer correctly, keep it clean, and get the desired results. 

1. Follow instructions

If Dr. Ohebsion prescribes the use of your retainer for a certain number of hours per day, you should make sure you use it for that number of hours. Follow those instructions if she tells you not to drink anything except water while wearing your retainer. 

This is the most important tip we have for success with your retainer. 

2. Keep your case at hand

Keep your retainer case handy, no matter what you’re doing or where you are. This is the best way to keep from losing your retainer and to prevent damage. 

3. Don’t overheat your retainer

It may be damaged if you leave your retainer in a hot car on a summer day. The same applies if you leave it on a hot stove or a heater. 

4. Follow a careful hygiene plan

You need to care for your retainer like you care for your teeth. Brush it to remove bacteria and plaque. We may recommend simply brushing your retainer or using an effervescent cleaner, such as those made for dentures. 

In addition to keeping your retainer clean, you should follow an impeccable oral hygiene routine, including brushing twice daily and flossing once. 

5. Be aware of foods and beverages

We will tell you if you should remove your retainer to eat and drink. Some foods are prone to staining or sticking to your retainer, making you more likely to develop tooth decay or gum disease. 

Questions? 

If you have questions about using a retainer, we encourage you to schedule an appointment so that Dr. Ohebsion can answer them with your specific situation in mind.