Retention

Image of Lower 3x3 Retainer

Importance of Retainers
Retainers are the final and most important phase of braces. A lot of time and money is spent to get your teeth in their proper position. After the braces are removed it will take several months for your periodontal ligaments to tighten around the newly aligned teeth. As you age your teeth and bone structure will continue to change so it is important to keep wearing your retainer as directed by Dr. Rarrick.

Lower 3x3/Fixed Retainer

• Avoid biting into hard food with front teeth
• If retainer comes loose or falls out, make sure you keep the wire and bring it to your next visit. Call the office during regular business hours to schedule an appointment to recement retainer. There is no cost to recement the retainer. If you lose the wire, there is a fee to make a replacement.

Flossing with a 3x3 Retainer

Flossing with Lower 3x3 Retainer
Loop floss around one tooth at a time. Both ends of floss should be outside of mouth. Wiggle floss down and repeat on all four lower front teeth.

Image of Upper Hawley

Upper Hawley

• Wear your retainers as directed
• Keep your retainer clean. Brush it with soap (or toothpaste) and water or clean it with denture cleanser using warm (not hot) water.
• Handle your retainer with care. Keep it away from pets (they love to chew on retainers) and heat (car dashboards, washing machines, hot water, etc).
• If you take it out of your mouth for any reason, always put it in its plastic case.
• If you damage or lose your retainer, please call the office during regular business hours. There will be a fee for a replacement retainer. It usually takes 2 weeks for the replacement retainer to be made.

Image of RC

RC

• Wear your retainers as directed
• Keep your retainer clean. Brush it with soap (or toothpaste) and water or clean it with denture cleanser using warm (not hot) water.
• Handle your retainer with care. Keep it away from pets (they love to chew on retainers) and heat (car dashboards, washing machines, hot water, etc).
• If you take it out of your mouth for any reason, always put it in its plastic case.
• If you damage or lose your retainer, please call the office during regular business hours. There will be a fee for a replacement retainer. It usually takes a couple of days for the replacement retainer to be made.