Your retainer should be worn full-time, day and night, for the entire length of treatment. After alignment is achieved, full-time wear will be necessary for six months.
After that, you should wear your retainer at night time while you sleep indefinitely.
You will need to wear your retainer on this schedule (every night) for as long as you want your teeth to remain straight. Teeth will shift over time due to the forces of your bite, and retainers are the only way to keep this force from moving your teeth. Please call us if you need a new retainer made; it is surprising how quickly teeth will start shifting.
- Brush your retainers with soap and water every day. Retainer Brite (www.smileshop.com). Or denture cleaner (Efferdent) can be used once a week.
- Do not use toothpaste; it will leave a white film on the acrylic.
- Do not clean or soak your retainer in hot water; leave it outdoors or in vehicles with extreme temperatures; it will warp the acrylic.
- Do not soak in mouthwash; this will stain and make your retainer brittle.
- Do not wrap your retainer in a napkin; they will quickly get thrown away.
- When the retainers are not in your mouth, always put them in your retainer case.
- Do not flick your retainer in/out with your tongue. This will loosen and/or break your retainer.