After your orthodontic treatment, wearing retainers is essential for every patient. During the retention period, full compliance with wearing retainers is needed to ensure the stability of post-orthodontic tooth positions. Just like you have to protect your teeth and keep them clean and free from bacteria – the same care should be taken for your retainer.

Your retainer is placed inside your mouth and against your teeth. As such, it too collects plaque and bacterial build up.  All of that is applied directly on your teeth and gums if you put your retainer back in your mouth without adequately cleaning it first.

Therefore, just like brushing your teeth at least twice a day, cleaning your retainers should be part of your oral hygiene routine. With a soft-bristled toothbrush, gently brush your retainers every time you brush your teeth. Do not use toothpaste, as the abrasive particles in it scratch the retainer surface and create more areas for future bacterial colonization Do not immerse the retainer in mouthwash, but use the special retainer cleansing solutions and tabs.

If you feel that your retainer is not fitting well, or is making your teeth sore, you need to contact your orthodontist as soon as you can, to have your retainer checked.

Take care of your retainers, and they will make sure you keep the results you wanted. Failure to wear your retainer as prescribed by your orthodontist can cause relapse (=allow the teeth to move again) and you could end up in another round of orthodontic treatment, or incur additional costs. Contact us at Beach Braces in Scarborough, if you have any questions about wearing retainers or orthodontic treatment.

Happy Smiling! 🙂

– The Beach Braces Team