Congratulations on having your braces removed! Wearing retainers is the final phase of your treatment. Your teeth will settle into more stable positions and your retainers will "retain" the alignment of your teeth during this process. Your bite will change over the next month.

INSERTING RETAINERS
Insert retainers with finger pressure ONLY. Do NOT use your teeth to insert retainers or they will break. Removal should be with BOTH hands to prevent cracks from occurring in the front of the clear retainer. The life expectancy of a retainer depends on the care you give it. Speech and salivation will return to normal after wearing your retainer for a few hours.

RETAINER WEAR
Wear your upper retainer FULL TIME for the next 6 weeks. If you have a lower flexible retainer, you are to wear it at nights only. Wear your retainers or your teeth will go back to where they were. Braces will then be needed to straighten your teeth again. If you leave your retainers out for a few days, do not expect to correct the resultant problem by then wearing your retainers. Retainers are to be worn a minimum of 3 years AND/OR until age 21. Even after this, retainer wear 2-3 nights per week may be necessary to keep your teeth in proper alignment. You should always have retainers that fit accurately.

RETAINER CARE
A retainer is often lost when it is wrapped in a napkin at a meal and then thrown away. Place your retainers in a safe place when they are out of your mouth. Brush your retainers with toothpaste daily and use Efferdent or Polident (denture cleaners) for best results. Use of warm tap water with the denture cleaner has been shown to clean the retainers well. Soaking in bleach may also be used to dissolve stains. NEVER boil your retainers. WARNING - retainers with wires should remain in the denture cleaner NO longer than 15 minutes.

DENTAL CARE
Swollen gums occur sometimes while in braces, but this will usually reverse to a normal, healthy, pink appearance after approximately one month once braces have been removed. Make certain to brush your gums and between your teeth with firm pressure. Bacterial plaque on teeth is the cause of swollen, red gums and bleeding around teeth. See your family dentist within a few weeks to have a cleaning and exam. You should consult your dentist or oral surgeon regarding removal of your wisdom teeth. Even if you keep your wisdom teeth, your teeth will remain straight as long as you wear retainers. There are other reasons to have wisdom teeth removed. We have information available upon your request to help you make that decision, but your dentist or oral surgeon is best qualified to help you weigh the risks versus the benefits of having wisdom teeth removed.

RETAINER CHECK-UPS
Retainer check-ups will be at six weeks and six months following brace removal. After the six month retainer check-up, the original orthodontic treatment will be completed.

RETAINER INSURANCE
Lost or damaged retainers are common. Insurance for replacement of retainers is offered through our office for your convenience and pays for itself with the first loss of a retainer.

YOUR FEEDBACK COUNTS
Thank you for selecting us to provide your orthodontic treatment. We appreciate your comments (especially written) of how we can better serve our patients. If you have a friend who may be interested in improving his/her dental appearance or health, we would appreciate the chance to help. May you enjoy many years of healthy, attractive smiles and have pleasant memories of your orthodontic experience with us.