Helpful Retainer Habits
The day you get your braces off or finish with your last Invisalign aligner is one of the most exciting days of your entire orthodontic journey. After all the patience and hard work, your new smile is finally yours to keep! But you're not quite finished with your treatment yet: after the active phase of treatment, you'll need to wear a retainer to help your teeth set into place and prevent them from drifting back to their old positions. How diligent you are with your retainer will have a big effect on the long-term health of your smile, so we at Eastern Virginia Orthodontics would love to provide a few tips on wearing and caring for your retainers.
Good Habits for Wearing Retainers
The retention phase is one of the most important for the longevity of your new smile, so it's important to be diligent. Follow these helpful retainer habits to ensure that your new smile lasts you a lifetime:
- Keep It Where It Goes: Believe it or not, one of the biggest dangers when wearing a retainer is losing it. It's all too easy to wrap it in a napkin and accidentally throw it away! To prevent this, your retainer should only ever be in one of two places: either in your mouth, or in the special case we provide for you. Using your retainer case is one of the best ways to protect your appliances.
- Clean It Like Your Teeth: Just like braces or Invisalign aligners, you'll need to keep your retainer clean to protect from the buildup of cavity-causing bacteria. Make sure to brush your retainer thoroughly anytime you take it out of your mouth, and periodically soak it in a glass of water with a denture-cleaning tablet for an even deeper clean.
- Wear It: Finally, remember that in order for your retainer to protect your smile in the way it needs to, you'll need to wear it exactly as directed! Make sure you never skimp on wearing your retainer and wear it for as long as instructed by your orthodontist – or even longer. This is the only way to ensure your new smile lasts a lifetime.
Contact Your Norfolk & Chesapeake, VA Orthodontist
We hope these tips help you in making the most of your retainers, and if you still have questions, we're here to help. Reach out to us at our contact page today to learn more about wearing and caring for retainers or to schedule your next appointment at one of our orthodontic offices. We can't wait to hear from you, and we look forward to helping you achieve the smile of your dreams!