You have diligently cared for your teeth and braces the entire time you have worn your braces. You are excited that today is the day they will be removed! What’s next you wonder. Now you need to maintain that beautiful smile and that involves wearing retainers.
Impressions are taken to make molds specifically for your mouth, then retainers are made from those molds to keep your teeth in place. Wearing your retainers and taking care of them is just as important as caring for your braces.
Follow these guidelines to care for your teeth and retainers:
Wear your retainers all the time, unless you are told differently by Dr. Reagin
When you eat, remove your retainers and put them in their case. Do not put them on a lunch tray or in a napkin, that is the way most retainers are lost because they get thrown away!
Brush your retainers with warm water and toothpaste. Take them out and really brush them. Plaque builds up on them. You want to remove the plaque which will also help to eliminate odors.
Retainers are breakable so always place them in your retainer case when they are not in your mouth.
Retainers should not be worn when swimming, should not be put in hot water, left in hot cars or on car dashboards or stuffed in your pockets.
Caring for your retainers and wearing them regularly will keep you proud of your smile for years to come. If something does happen and you need new retainers, Dr. Reagin can make you a new set, but it is expensive. If you are worried about losing or breaking your retainers it is a good idea to take advantage of the discount we offer all our patients at debonding. You can buy a second set at the same time as your first set for half price. This offer is only available at debonding because the same mold can be used and a new mold does not have to be made.
To learn more about retainers and caring for them visit our website