I bet you have heard that you have to wear retainers after orthodontic treatment to preserve your beautiful results. But, have you heard about the incredible diets where you lose all the weight and then you don’t have to do anything to keep the weight off? I’m talking the diet that requires no lifestyle changes like eating differently or exercising more to keep the weight off. It’s an amazing diet! Have you heard about it?
Yeah, me neither.
Just like a lifestyle change to keep the weight off after a successful diet, wearing a retainer after successful orthodontic treatment is necessary. During orthodontic treatment, we work hard to make your smile beautiful and your bite healthy. At the end of treatment, if you want to keep the results, you have to wear a retainer. Here are some retainer tips for optimizing your results:
- Wear your retainer at all times, until the orthodontist instructs otherwise.
- Take your retainer out when eating, and always put it back in its case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunchrooms or restaurants.)
- Clean the retainer thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Use warm water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque, and eliminates odors.
- When your retainer is not in your mouth, it should ALWAYS be in its case. Pets love to chew on them!
- Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud to get used to it faster.
- Retainers are breakable, so treat yours with care. If your retainer gets lost or broken, call us immediately.
- If you have any questions or concerns about your retainer, or you believe it needs adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust it yourself.
- Always bring your retainer to your appointments.
- Retainer replacements are expensive, but with proper care they will last for years!
- Remove your retainer when you go swimming.
- Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.
If you want an explanation of why, read this.
If you want to read about wearing retainers for life, read this.
Finally, if you want to read about some of the retainer options at JFO, read this.
