How to care for your retainers

Let’s talk about caring for your retainers. Just finish your orthodontic treatment? Congrats! We know it took a lot of effort to reach this important milestone. To ensure your confident, healthy smile lasts a lifetime, it’s important to consistently wear your retainers.

Your retainers look a lot like your weekly aligners (just a bit thicker) but they will now hold your teeth in their new positions while your bone tissue rebuilds around them, stabilizing them.This is a process that takes time and even after the new bone has solidified, you may need to wear your retainers for a long time. The reason teeth can continue to move after treatment is that the bone that holds them in place was continually breaking down and rebuilding. To counteract this naturally-generated force, continued retainer wear may be advised by your orthodontist. Even though nothing can prevent 100% of tooth movement, retainers are the best tool available to minimize any movement.

How to care for your retainer:

• Always carry your retainer in its Impress case. This will help avoid any damage.
• Keep your retainer away from pets—especially dogs. Oddly enough, dogs seem to be attracted to retainers and can quickly chew through them.
  
• Avoid heat. Your retainer can lose its form if left on a heater, hot car, or stove.
  
• Keep them clean. Wash them with warm soapy water or brush with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
  
• Always remove before eating.
  
• Floss and brush before putting them on for bed.
  

Now it’s up to you to keep your new smile healthy and beautiful. Keep up with your home oral hygiene routine and see your dentist regularly. To preserve the results you got from wearing your clear aligners, wear your retainers as instructed by your Impress doctor.

Get started today by scheduling your free consult. Give us a call at 888.490.1421 or email us at careteam@uniformteeth.com for additional assistance.