Of everything we ask patients to do, wearing a retainer is the request that is most often quietly dropped, and it is the one that decides whether the result you paid for is still there in ten years. It is worth understanding why, because the reason is more interesting than the instruction.
Teeth are not set in concrete
A tooth sits in bone, but it is suspended in it by a web of fibres rather than fused to it, and those fibres have a memory. Immediately after treatment they are still under tension from where the tooth used to be, and if nothing holds the tooth, they pull.
There is a second reason, and it applies to everyone whether or not they have had orthodontic treatment. Teeth drift slowly throughout life. Lower front teeth crowd as people get older, jaws continue to change into adulthood, and lips, tongue and chewing all push. Retention is not about undoing braces, it is about holding a position against forces that never switch off.
The two kinds of retainer
A bonded retainer is a fine wire fixed behind the front teeth. It is not visible, there is nothing to remember, and it stays put until we remove it. It does need care when you clean, because floss has to go under the wire rather than between the teeth.
A removable retainer is a clear tray or a plate that you take in and out, usually worn overnight once the first months have passed. It relies on you, which is its only weakness. Both are explained step by step in our home care sheets, including the bonded retainer sheet with the flossing technique.
How long do I have to wear them
For as long as you would like the teeth to stay where they are. That sounds like a dodge, but it is the accurate answer, and it is what the research supports. Wear is heaviest in the first year and usually settles into nights only after that, which most people find they stop noticing entirely.
Looking after a removable retainer
- Rinse it in cool water and brush it gently with a soft brush, without toothpaste, which scratches the plastic
- Never put it in hot water, in a dishwasher or in the sun, because heat warps it and a warped retainer no longer fits
- Keep it in its case whenever it is not in your mouth
- Never wrap it in a serviette at a cafe or in the school canteen, which is how most of them end up in a bin
- Keep it away from the dog, who will find it more interesting than you would expect
If it feels tight, or you cannot find it
A retainer that feels tight after a few nights off is telling you the teeth have started to move, and the answer is to wear it more, not less, and to ring us if it will not seat properly. Do not force it. If it is lost, cracked or has come away from a tooth, contact us promptly rather than waiting for the next review, because a few weeks without retention undoes more than people expect. Our emergencies page covers what to do in the meantime.
