Caring for your braces, plates and retainers
The same instructions we hand you in the practice, for whatever you have been fitted with. Find yours below.
Everything we fit comes with a sheet like these. They cover what to expect in the first week, how to clean and look after it, what to avoid, and when to call us. If something breaks or hurts, do not wait for your next appointment.
Something broken or sore?Braces & aligners
Braces (full fixed appliances)
Bands and braces fixed to the teeth to correct crowding, spacing and the bite, usually worn for 18 to 24 months.
Read the sheet →Partial braces
Braces on a few teeth only, used when full braces are not needed or while baby and adult teeth are mixed.
Read the sheet →Clear aligners (Invisalign, Angel Aligners and others)
A series of clear, removable, custom-made trays that gradually straighten the teeth without brackets or wires.
Read the sheet →Forsus springs
Fixed springs added to braces part-way through treatment to correct the bite when elastics alone are not enough.
Read the sheet →
Expanders & arches
Rapid maxillary expander (RME)
A cemented expander turned at home to widen the upper jaw, making room for erupting teeth and correcting crossbites.
Read the sheet →Quad helix
A fixed appliance in the roof of the mouth that widens a narrow upper jaw and rotates the upper molars.
Read the sheet →Palatal and lingual arches (and space maintainers)
Fixed wires on the upper or lower molar bands that hold the molars in place and keep space for the adult teeth.
Read the sheet →Removable plates (upper and lower removable appliances)
Hard plastic and wire plates worn full time to straighten a few teeth, control deep bites or widen the jaws.
Read the sheet →
Functional appliances
Twin block
A removable functional appliance worn day and night to bring the lower jaw and teeth forward in a growing patient.
Read the sheet →Bionator
A removable functional appliance worn day and night to reduce the discrepancy between the upper and lower jaws.
Read the sheet →Face mask therapy
A framework worn at home for at least 14 hours a day to encourage the upper jaw forward and reduce an underbite.
Read the sheet →
Habits & retention
Bonded retainers
Slim wires glued behind the front teeth after treatment, worn together with your removable retainers.
Read the sheet →Thumb and tongue cribs (fixed and removable)
A crib in the roof of the mouth that blocks a thumb or tongue from its habitual position until the habit stops.
Read the sheet →
Not sure what you were fitted with?
Call the practice and reception will point you to the right sheet