Congratulations! Your braces are off. Your smile is beautiful. You have now reached the Retainer Stage. The purpose of your retainers is to maintain the position of your teeth. Although some shifting of individual teeth is possible, wearing the retainers prescribed by Dr. Robinson will keep this to a minimum. Retainers seldom realign the teeth if shifting has occurred.

The retainers should be worn full-time for 6-12 months, except for eating, brushing, and contact sports.

Afterward, the retainer should be worn only at night for life. Your new retainers may cause your teeth to be a bit sore for a few days. Faithful wear will relieve this feeling. Your speech may also seem a little “funny” when you first start wearing your retainers, but this too will correct itself with faithful wear.

Caring for Your Retainers

If you have acrylic retainers with a wire that goes across your front teeth, brush the retainers at least once a day using your toothbrush and toothpaste. If you have clear retainers, use Retainer Brite, which can be ordered online.

Never boil or use hot water for cleaning.

Keep your retainers in the case when eating or playing sports.