Clear Retainers Information Sheet
1. The purpose of the retainers is to hold the teeth in the improved corrected position whilst the bone hardens around the tooth roots in their new position.
2. Retainers are made by heating and softening a plastic sheet and a vacuum sucks them onto the teeth models. Therefore, if they are exposed to heat e.g. hot water, sunlight or radiant heat they are likely to distort and are usually ruined.
3. Your retainers should not be worn when eating or drinking hot drinks or doing anything physical enough to dislodge them. However, because they are practically invisible THEY ARE VERY EASY TO LOSE, so try to put them in the same place (such as a retainer box) each time they are removed.
4. To clean them use a soft toothbrush, toothpaste and rinse with cool water.
5. We generally provide two sets of retainers which can either be interchanged or just kept as a spare set if the first set is lost or badly damaged. If additional plastic retainers are needed we can make more but this is at additional cost. Small cracks can usually be ignored or gently filed back; however if you clench or grind your teeth (this usually happens when asleep) the retainers won’t last and stronger appliances will be required which incurs a laboratory fee.
6. If the retainers aren’t worn as prescribed, your teeth will probably move back towards their original positions. As a rough guide, the retainers should be worn all the time for the first 6 months, every night for the next 6 months, 2 – 3 nights per week for the next 6 months, and occasionally after that. Generally, the further the teeth have been moved, the longer the retainers will need to be worn.
7. Unfortunately we can’t guarantee your teeth won’t move, as sometimes years after treatment they may move (teeth often move even in people who haven’t had any orthodontic treatment). Teeth treated with braces are less likely to relapse than those just treated with a biteplate as the roots are usually moved into a more stable position.
8. In some cases teeth that have been rotated significantly will benefit from a circumferantial fibrotomy, which is a small incision between the root and the gum, which we can explain if required. These cases may also require a cemented retainer.
9. Factors that increase the risk of your teeth relapsing include:-
(a) not wearing the retainers enough; (b) habits such as grinding, clenching or biting objects like pens;(c) eruption of teeth (usually wisdom teeth); (d) poor oral hygiene leading to gum disease; (e) genetics.
10. It is important to return for regular checks to minimize any movement before it becomes a problem, as well as checking for decay and periodontal disease, and thereby protecting your investment in time and money.
11. ALWAYS BRING ALL YOUR RETAINERS TO FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS.