Retainers

It’s very exciting when we unveil your new smile at the end of treatment with braces or clear aligners. But if you want to keep your new results for a lifetime, then the most important part of treatment is just beginning: the retention stage with a custom retainer.

Cool Smiles Orthodontics - Adult Treatments

How do retainers work?

Retainers are built to hold your smile in its newly aligned position after treatment. Without a retainer, your teeth will want to shift back toward their pretreatment positions, so it’s very important to follow the instructions of your orthodontist carefully to keep your results.

In general, we recommend you wear your removable retainers all day and night for the first three months after your braces are removed. After that, you may be able to switch to nighttime-only wear.

Cool Smiles Orthodontics - Retainers Treatments

Types of retainers

We use two different types of retainers at our clinics, removable and permanent retainers. Your orthodontist can help you determine which type of retainer is best for your smile.

Removable retainers

Removable retainers are made from either wire and acrylic or clear plastic.

With wire and acrylic retainers, a wire is secured by an acrylic plate that fits snuggly to your upper palate. The wire is visible as it wraps around the front of your teeth.

Clear plastic retainers are very similar to Invisalign® clear aligners and fit over your entire top and bottom teeth to hold them in place. They are custom made for your smile and can be removed for meals and tooth brushing.

Permanent retainers

A permanent retainer, also called a fixed retainer, is a thin metal wire that is attached to the back of your front teeth. It is invisible to the outside, and most people forget it’s even there after a few weeks.

A permanent retainer takes a little more effort to clean because you’ll have to floss around it, but you won’t have to worry about misplacing it or wearing it for the correct amount of time.

Permanent retainers

A permanent retainer takes a little more effort to clean because you’ll have to floss around it, but you won’t have to worry about misplacing it or wearing it for the correct amount of time.

Ready to create your best smile?

To get your custom retainer, you need to start orthodontic treatment, first. If you are ready to begin, we can get you signed up during your free consultation at Cool Smiles Orthodontics.

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