Retainers
For anyone finishing braces or aligners, and anyone whose teeth have shifted since.
A retainer is a thin wire or clear plate that holds your teeth where treatment left them. Teeth drift back towards their old position for the rest of your life, so the retainer is what makes straightening last.
Any of these sound familiar?
- You are near the end of braces or aligners and need something to hold the result.
- Your retainer is cracked, warped or lost, and you have stopped wearing it.
- Teeth that were straight after braces years ago have crowded up again.
- The fixed wire behind your front teeth has come unglued at one end.
- You have had a tooth taken out and want to stop the neighbouring teeth drifting into the gap.
Start to finish.
-
01
Scan or impressions
On the day the braces come off, or the last aligner is finished, we scan or take moulds of both jaws. The record is taken before anything can move, so the retainer matches where the teeth are that day.
-
02
Choosing the type
A clear removable retainer sits over the teeth and comes out to eat; a fixed retainer is a thin wire bonded behind the front teeth and stays put. Dr. Malik tells you which suits your case, and many people end up with both.
-
03
Fitting
The retainer goes in and Dr. Malik checks it seats fully and rubs nowhere. You are shown how to get it in and out and how to clean it without warping it.
-
04
The wearing schedule
Most people wear a removable retainer full time at first, then nights only. The night-time habit has no end date, and that is the part people are usually not told.
-
05
Checking it at visits
Bring the retainer to every check-up. Dr. Malik looks at the fit, the bonded wire and whether anything has moved, and replaces it before a cracked one lets the teeth drift.
What it costs, and who pays.
A retainer is usually one short visit for the scan or moulds and a second to fit it, and it is often quoted inside a course of braces or aligners rather than separately. A replacement after a loss or a break is billed on its own. Plans differ here: some count retainers within the orthodontic benefit, and some pay nothing towards a replacement.
Ask for a written estimateRetainers, answered.
How long do I have to wear a retainer?
For as long as you want the teeth to stay where they are. Full time at first, then most nights, indefinitely. Teeth keep moving slowly for life, and the retainer is the only thing that stops it.
What happens if I stop wearing my retainer?
Teeth drift, usually the lower front ones first, over months and years. If the retainer still fits, start wearing it at night again. If it will not seat, do not force it in; bring it to us and we check how far things have moved.
Can I get a new retainer if I lost mine years ago?
Yes, but a new one holds the teeth where they are now, not where they were. Dr. Malik checks how far they have shifted and tells you whether a retainer is enough or a short course of aligners comes first.
How do I clean a retainer?
Brush it with cool water and a soft brush every day, and soak it in a cleaning solution now and then. Never use hot water or a dishwasher; heat warps the plastic and it stops fitting.
