ProviderMaintaining Your New Smile
Now that your braces have come off or you've removed your final set of clear aligners, the focus shifts to maintaining your new smile. This means wearing a retainer to keep your top and bottom teeth in their straightened positions.
Standard removable retainers are made from an acrylic arch that is designed to sit on the roof of your mouth or under your tongue and a metal wire will surround your front teeth. The goal of the metal wire is to hold your teeth in place. This wire can even be adjusted to fine-tune the results of your treatment.
Aligner-style retainers offer a clear alternative to wire retainers. This clear retainer can be made to fit over the entire arch of your teeth, or just the section from canine to canine.
Fixed retainers consist of wires that are bonded to the backs of your teeth. These are often used on the lower jaw's front teeth, as these teeth are particularly prone to shifting throughout adulthood.
Enrol in Our Smile Protection Program
For a one-time fee, you can enrol in our Smile Protection Program, which will provide you with replacement retainers over the next seven years.
This makes maintaining your new smile a more affordable process in the long run.
Why You Need a Retainer
Stabilization and prevention are the two main reasons you need to wear a retainer after your orthodontic treatment.
During the active part of your orthodontic treatment, your aligners or braces are continuously working to move your teeth and their roots into their new positions. When the roots move, the surrounding bone needs to reform around them to hold them securely in place once again.
This process takes time, and can continue for many months after it appears the tooth itself is in the right place.
Preserving Your Results
A retainer will help stabilize your teeth while this happens, giving the jawbone the time it needs to reform around the new position of the roots. Wearing a retainer prevents your teeth and their roots from shifting back into their starting positions and undoing all of your orthodontic treatment's hard work.
Post-Treatment FAQs
Learn some retainer basics by reading these frequently asked questions from our patients.
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Is the Smile Protection Program worth the money?
For a one-time fee that is around the price of three retainers, the Smile Protection Program offers you replacement retainers over the course of seven years. Without the Smile Protection Program, you must pay the full cost of a retainer each time it is replaced.
Apart from co-pay, there are no costs for retainer replacements after you pay the one-time fee. You can also pay for your Smile Protection Program in three monthly instalments.
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How many times can I replace my retainer with the Smile Protection Program?
You can get up to a maximum of seven sets or 14 individual retainers over a seven year period with the Smile Protection Program. Please note that we will not provide multiple retainer replacements in a single visit unless it is one upper and one lower retainer.
When you require a retainer replacement, give us a call as soon as possible. We will invite you to come back to our practice and confirm what retainers you need. In some cases, an impression may be required, but in most cases, we will simply take a scan of your teeth. You will be able to pick up your new retainers a few days later.
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How often should I replace my retainer?
With proper care and correct use, most retainers can last for years.
The following signs indicate that a new retainer may be needed:
Cracks or Chips
When you start noticing chips or cracks in your retainer, it is time to replace it. This type of damage will only get worse over time, and it will also compromise the retainer's structural integrity, making it less effective.
Poor Fit
Retainers are designed to be sturdy and durable, but they may start to loosen over time with wear. If you notice that the fit is loose, it's important to replace your retainer because at that point, it is no longer effectively supporting your teeth.
Excessive Buildup
You should be cleaning your retainer regularly to keep it in good shape. However, stubborn buildup can still occur over time. If your retainer has buildup that can't be removed with a thorough cleaning, it should be replaced.
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How long do I have to wear my retainer?
Retainers are a long-term commitment for all orthodontic patients. Retainers ensure that your new, straighter smile stays that way after your treatment with braces or clear aligners is complete.
You'll have to wear your retainer full-time for at least three months after you have finished your active orthodontic treatment and nightly after that.
Even people who have never had orthodontic treatment will experience their teeth shifting over time; orthodontic patients are even more prone to this and should wear retainers for as long as they want straight teeth.
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How often do I have to wear my retainer?
For the first few months of retainer wear after active orthodontic treatment, your orthodontist will instruct you to wear your retainer 24 hours a day, every day. This is because these early months of the retention phase are when your teeth are most likely to shift back to their pre-treatment positions.
During this time, you'll take your retainer out only to eat, brush, and floss your teeth. You will probably also need to remove your retainer if you play sports, as you should be switching to a sports mouth guard instead.
Over time, your teeth will settle into their new positions, and your risk of relapse will decrease. When your orthodontist has determined that you are ready and your jaw has reformed around your tooth roots, you'll be able to start wearing your retainer for fewer hours a day, or just overnight.
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Can I eat or drink while wearing my retainer?
You should always take your retainer out when eating. You should also take it out if you're drinking hot liquids or highly pigmented ones to prevent the retainer from getting warped or stained.
You can, however, drink water while your retainer is in.
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How do I clean my orthodontic retainer?
Clean your retainer at least once daily with a soft-bristled tooth brush and some mild, unscented liquid soap. This removes food debris, plaque and bacteria. Rinse the retainer with cool or room temperature water to remove the soap when you're done.
We also suggest soaking your retainer using specially made retainer cleaning tablets dissolved in water as needed. This can help loosen any stubborn buildup and leave your retainer feeling fresh.
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What happens if I forget to put my retainer in?
It's important to wear your retainer as prescribed by your orthodontist to ensure that your orthodontic treatment results are maintained.
That said, if you occasionally forget to wear your retainer for short periods of time, you probably have nothing to worry about. Just go back to wearing it consistently as soon as you remember.
Keep in mind that if you don't wear your retainer as directed, there's a chance your teeth will shift out of position, and you'll require more corrective orthodontic treatment to realign them.