Getting To Know Your Appliances: Retainers

• You must wear your retainer all of the time, until you are directed otherwise. This is what is going to help to keep your teeth straight.
• If you do not wear your retainer, your teeth will move and your retainer will no longer fit.
• You should remove your retainer only to brush your teeth, and while swimming, skiing, or playing other sports such as hockey to avoid accidental loss.
• We recommend wearing your retainer while eating at school as this will also help to avoid accidental loss.
• Your retainer is fragile and can be broken easily if not cared for properly. If for any reason you are not wearing your retainer, you should keep it in its case.
• To clean your retainer, remove it to brush your teeth and simply brush the retainer with your toothbrush. Never place your retainer in hot water to clean, this can distort the retainer. Using a denture cleaner periodically is a good idea.
• If your retainer is not fitting properly, please call our office for advice.
• If you lose or break your retainer, you will need to have new impressions and a new retainer made. A charge will be incurred for a new retainer, so please be careful!

For more information regarding the care and maintenance of your braces, please visit www.BRACES.org , the official site of the American Association of Orthodontists!