The team at Eastern Virginia Orthodontics has years of experience helping patients get a great smile. We do whatever it takes to help you feel comfortable during your appointment.
Wearing a dental retainer is an easy way to improve your smile. You usually get one custom-fitted after removing your braces to ensure your teeth retain their new shape. Find out how to care for your retainer to protect your investment.
Clean Your Retainer
Cleaning your retainer is a good way to protect it from future damage. If you have a plastic retainer, simply brush or rinse it with lukewarm water and remove stuck-on debris with a cotton swab. It’s also helpful to floss with ordinary dental floss.
Denture Soaks
Talk to your Chesapeake military orthodontist about using a denture cleaner. The cleaner comes in a tablet form that you mix with water. Place your retainer in the container or cup, add water, and drop in the tablet. Once it finishes soaking, rinse it with lukewarm water.
Keep Away from Pets
As much as you love pets, you won’t love what they can do to your retainer. Both dogs and cats love chewing on plastic. If you leave your retainer sitting out, your pet can easily grab it and destroy it in a few hours or less. You also risk the animal using it as a toy and hiding it somewhere in your home. Put the retainer up after you finish wearing it.
Know When to Take it Out
Though you usually wear a retainer for hours every day, always take it out before you eat. Even if you just plan on grabbing a snack, it’s easy for food particles to stick to the retainer. Keep it stored in a safe place until you’re done with your food.
Practice Good Hygiene
To practice good hygiene, always brush and floss multiple times a day. Any food or drink particles that stick to your teeth will rub off on your retainer and wear it down. Brush and floss in the morning, after you eat, and before you head to bed. Your Chesapeake military orthodontist may even supply you with a new brush.
Prepare for Your Retainer
Talk to your orthodontist about how to prepare for your retainer and what you should do to take care of it. At Eastern Virginia Orthodontics, we’ll go over all of these tips with you during your appointment. Call today to schedule an appointment to talk with us about getting a new retainer.
