Keep Your Straightened Teeth Positioned Perfectly For Years To Come
About Retainers
Orthodontic aftercare is underpinned by the correct use of retainers to ensure you keep your teeth straight and positioned exactly where you want them.
- We will guide you through every stage of your orthodontic journey, including aftercare, to help you keep your new smile in perfect alignment.
- With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Murray proudly delivers expert orthodontics and dentistry to patients across New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
- We will continue to support you during the retention stage of your treatment. There is no charge for these appointments.
Types of Retainers
Retainers are custom-made and can be removable or fixed.
- Traditional removable retainers typically include a metal wire that surrounds the front teeth and is attached to an acrylic arch that sits on the roof of the mouth. The metal wires can be adjusted to finish treatment and continue minor movement of the front teeth as needed.
- In the appropriate cases, clear retainers will fit over the entire upper and lower arches in order to preserve your perfect smile.
- Fixed retainers are wires bonded to the back surfaces of the teeth and are utilized in certain cases to counteract specific movements.
Ask Us Anything
If you have further questions about the retention part of your orthodontic treatment, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Who Needs To Wear Retainers?
Anyone who has undergone orthodontic treatment, regardless of age, needs to wear retainers following treatment to ensure that their teeth remain in position and their results are long-lasting.
Why Are Retainers So Important?
When your braces are removed, the retention stage of your treatment begins. During this vital, final stage of treatment, we provide our patients with retainers that keep their straighter, re-positioned teeth in the correct place.
Your final orthodontic outcome will depend on you continuing to wear retainers. So, we recommend continuing the habits you have developed during treatment, including keeping your teeth very clean. We also advise you to remove the retainer before brushing and additionally brush your retainer before putting it back into your mouth.
Keeping your retainers in a clean and hygienic place, particularly a retainer storage box is also important to keep it from becoming broken or lost.
How To Care For Retainers
A key part of retainer care is hygiene. Brushing the retainers often and also soaking them in orthodontic retainer cleaner are both recommended ways to keep them clean.
If a retainer does become cracked or damaged, replace it by getting in touch with us. Damaged retainers won’t do their job as well as they should and might even cause mild tooth movements that were unintended.
Start Improving Your Smile Today
Let us help you achieve the beautiful, straight teeth that you have always been dreaming of. Call us today to book your initial evaluation with one of our doctors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions that you can expect to be answered during your evaluation include:
How Long Should Patients Wear Retainers?
How should I maintain my retainer?
How Often Should Patients Wear Their Retainers?