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REFERRALS

Retainer Instructions

Dear Patient,

Congratulations! You have successfully completed your Braces journey and are now moving on to the maintenance phase. Here is a detailed guide on Retainer Instructions to help you maintain your new smile. 

Research has shown that relapse of tooth positions after braces or Invisalign treatment is the most intense in the 1st year. Retainer wear is critical for stabilizing treatment results.

Teeth move throughout life, and Retainers are very important to avoid or minimize Tooth Relapse (teeth shifting back toward their original position). Retainers are ‘maintainers’ or ‘Pjyamas for your teeth’!

FAQs

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How to care for Removable Retainers

 

Removable retainers are ‘maintainers’ and should be worn to sleep for lifelong maintenance. 

How often to wear removable retainers after fixed braces:

  • First 6 months Full-time wear of 20 hrs. DAILY
  • Next 6 months 10 to 12 hours DAILY
  • After that, alternate nights to sleep for as long as you want to maintain straight teeth.

 

How often to wear removable retainers after Invisalign:

  • First 6 months: Wear 12-14 hours DAILY
  • The minimum is from after dinner to the next morning.
  • After that, aim for alternate nights of retainer wear for as long as you want to maintain straight teeth.
  • Retainers are NOT aligners. DO NOT throw retainers away after 1 week of wear.

If you have forgotten to wear your retainers for a few days, they will feel tight when you next put them on.

This means teeth have moved slightly (RELAPSE) and the retainers are trying to squeeze them straight. It is a warning sign. Do not ignore this.

Wear the retainers FULL TIME (except during eating and brushing teeth) for the next 1 month to act like ‘mini Invisalign.’ Every day, gently ease the retainers to help move teeth back to their original position.

If there is a lot of PAIN from trying to fit your retainers on, STOP! Do not force the retainers onto your teeth. Make an appointment to see us As Soon As Possible and bring your retainers along.

  • Coffee, tea, curry, carrot juice, red wine etc WILL stain retainers. Please only drink plain water when wearing your retainers.
  • No super-hot drinks with retainers on to avoid distorting them.
  • Do not place retainers near heat like hair dryers, hot water pipes etc..
  • Do not let your retainers get damaged or bent (keep it in its dedicated case/ box when not placed in the mouth).
  • Do not bite down on retainers to seat them over your teeth, it will crack!
  • Do not play with the retainers using your tongue.
  • WRAPPING RETAINERS IN TISSUE PAPER is the fastest way to lose retainers!
  • If retainers are cracked or broken, please do not fix it yourself.
  • Keep retainers away from pets. Dogs love to chew retainers!

How to Clean Removable Retainers

  1. Brush your retainers twice daily with a toothbrush and a little toothpaste or soap.
  2. During cleaning, only hold one ‘leg’ of the retainer (as shown in the picture above).
  3. Patients who hold retainers in the palm of their hand may crush their retainers accidentally during cleaning.
  4. Do not soak or wash your retainers with Dettol or other household cleaning products. These products are poisonous and may change retainer properties and stain them.
  5. Disinfect your retainers with Retainer Brite tablets three times a week.
  6. DO NOT soak retainers in warm water or leave them in the sun!
  7. Dry retainers by shaking out excess water use tissue paper or a towel. Do not use a hair dryer on retainers.
  8. There is no need to soak retainers in water during the day. Leave clean and dry retainers in their box.

Removable Retainers MUST be brought for every retainer appointment to allow us to check on the following:  

  1. Any teeth relapse
    • For minor changes, we can adjust the retainers to straighten teeth!)
  2. Retainer compliance
    • We can assess if it’s time to scale down the hours of retainer wear
  3. Dental hygiene and Dental Health status
    • Any dental decay? Gum disease? Bad breath?
  4. Problems in the eruption of wisdom teeth (when applicable) Retainer condition and cleanliness 
  • We can tighten retainers and send retainers for a deep ultra-sonic clean in our lab
  • We will investigate cracks and traces of wear on your retainers, it may indicate a habit of clenching or grinding your teeth.

Caring for and maintaining a fixed lingual retainer wire begins with understanding its components.

  • Fixed lingual retainer wires are bonded to the back of your teeth to hide them.
  • A flowable, tooth-colored, composite cement is used to bond the wire securely by creating a composite tag on the tooth. 
  • Avoid using your front teeth to bite hard and crunchy foods like granola bars, pizza crusts, bones, shells, and apples.
  • Do not use your front teeth to open or pull on bottles caps etc.
  • If your fixed lingual retainer breaks or comes loose, having a back-up removable retainer is a life-saver! 
  • The back-up removable retainer helps to hold teeth in place while you find time to visit us to repaid the fixed lingual retainer. 
  • Patients WITHOUT a back-up retainer often have to watch in vain as teeth shift out of place. Hence, they will need a short period of fixed braces or Invisalign to realign before redoing or repair the fixed lingual retainer. 
  • Moreover, if you are a nighttime grinder, a removable retainer serves the purpose to protect your teeth from grinding damage. 
  • Make sure to brush your teeth twice a day.
  • Use small, circular motions at the back of your front teeth.
  • You may use a superfloss or interdental brush to clean underneath the wire.
  • Patients with a fixed lingual retainer may also use a Water Flosser as an easier and faster alternative to flossing.
  • Consider the Hygiene Fixed Lingual Retainer wire designed to allow regular brushing.

If your fixed lingual retainer wire is broken or deformed, you may notice that:

  1. A few of the front teeth are not as straight as before.
  2. The shape of your dental arch form appears distorted.
  3. A strange bite developed that was not there before.
  4. Your night-time wears clear retainers are strangely tighter than usual.


At MyBracesClinic, we highly recommend having at least 1 set of clear retainers to wear at night. This set of ‘insurance’ clear retainers is IN ADDITION to having a fixed lingual retainer wire.

This is to ensure you have something to hold your teeth in place should you suspect that the fixed lingual retainer wire is broken. This set of ‘insurance’ clear retainers serves to hold and even, straighten your teeth while you find time to see your dentist for help.

Fixed lingual retainer tags can come lose with hard dietary habits or wear off with time. The fixed lingual retainer wire wire may break or deform with wear and usage. 

During your Fixed lingual retainer appointment, our Drs will check the quality of the tag adhesion and integrity of the wire to ensure proper function of the fixed lingual retainer wire in maintaining your teeth positions.

In addition, Removable Retainers MUST be brought for every retainer appointment to allow us to check on the following:  

  1. Any teeth relapse
    • For minor changes, we can adjust the retainers to straighten teeth!)
  2. Retainer compliance
    • We can assess if it’s time to scale down the hours of retainer wear
  3. Dental hygiene and Dental Health status
    • Any dental decay? Gum disease? Bad breath?
  4. Problems in the eruption of wisdom teeth (when applicable) Retainer condition and cleanliness 
  • We can tighten retainers and send retainers for a deep ultra-sonic clean in our lab
  • We will investigate cracks and traces of wear on your retainers, it may indicate a habit of clenching or grinding your teeth.

It was certainly our pleasure to complete your braces journey, and we will miss you!

Do like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram for more useful tips.

See you at your next review appointment!

If you love what we do, kindly share the love by leaving us a review here. Thank you very much!


Cheers always,
MyBracesClinic

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