Retainers

Keep your orthodontic treatment permanently with retainers.

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Types of Retainers

There are 3 types of retainers to choose from after completing your treatment. Each has it's pros and cons to fit your lifestyle.

Bonded Retainers

By securing a wire along the inside of your teeth, we can create a bonded retainer to prevent your teeth from drifting. While bonded retainers can be successful, you’ll need to weigh the pros and cons to see if it’s right for you.

Bonded retainers can be a little tough to keep clean. Ensure that you’re brushing twice a day, using mouthwash, and continue to use the special brace’s floss that you can feed under the wire to keep that area clean. It’s possible that your bonded retainer can snap or break, leading you to not have any type of retaining device until you can make an appointment with your orthodontist. On the positive side, it can be a great device that lasts years without any trouble. It can’t be seen by others, it holds your teeth in place, and you’ll never worry about losing it!

Clear Retainers

Much like the invisible aligners used to re-align teeth, retainers prevent your teeth from moving after your treatment is finished. Since they’re “invisible,” these retainers are easy to perform daily activities with, such as speaking, running, and more. Depending on your post-treatment plan, you may only need to wear these retainers at night.

Hawley Retainers

While more traditional in style, Hawley retainers come in fun colors and last a long time. These retainers do take up a little more room in your mouth than clear retainers, so it might take some time to adjust to speaking and performing daily activities with them in. However, depending on your post-treatment plan, you might only need to wear the retainers at night, keeping your mouth free from appliances during the day.
Retainers

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to wear my retainer?

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Wearing a retainer is actually the most important part of your orthodontic treatment. If you don’t wear it as instructed, your teeth will possibly drift; making all of your previous orthodontic treatment pointless. If your teeth drift enough, you may need further orthodontic treatment in the future. “Retain” all that hard work by wearing your retainer.

Can I eat with the retainers in?

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Retainers/trays will break under constant stress, so we advise our patients to take them out before eating to prevent wearing them down or breaking them.

How can I take care of my retainers?

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Retainers can last a long time if they’re taken care of. Remember to clean them every day. Scrub them with your toothbrush, but not toothpaste (the coarse nature of toothpaste will scratch and wear your retainers), and for a more effective clean use mild dish soap. Most retainers come in a carrying case to help you keep track of them. To help them not be misplaced or thrown out, pick a designated place for them to stay while they’re out of your mouth. Also, don’t place them on lunch trays or anything that could look like trash.

What should I do if my retainer is broken or I lost it?

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Call Hillam Orthodontics as soon as you can so we can create/order a replacement. If you’ve worn your retainer for over a year with treatment, your teeth won’t drift significantly for a night or two away from your retainer. If you’re new to retainers, you’ll want to get it replaced as soon as possible. Give us a call and we’ll help you out.

Treatment

Why Hillam Orthodontics?

Board-certified Orthodontists
Offices in Idaho Falls, Driggs, & Afton
3 generations of doctors practicing since 1966

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