On this page8 sections
A retainer holds teeth in place after orthodontic treatment. Teeth drift for the rest of your life, most quickly in the first months after the braces come off and then slowly, so retainers are worn at night indefinitely. Removable retainers are clear trays or a Hawley wire-and-acrylic design; fixed retainers are a thin wire bonded behind the front teeth; many patients have both. At Vizcaya Dental Arts retention is planned by Dr. Patricia Hong as part of every case, and Dr. Kottar makes retainers after veneers and bonding, because porcelain moves with the teeth.
Why teeth move after treatment
Orthodontic treatment moves teeth through bone, and the bone and the gum fibers around each tooth need time to settle into the new position. In the first months the fibers pull the teeth back toward where they were. Later, the ordinary forces of a lifetime take over: the lips and tongue, the bite, the slow forward drift of the lower front teeth that happens to everyone, straightened or not.
Two kinds of retainer
Removable retainers. The most common is a thin, clear tray molded to the teeth, much like an aligner, nearly invisible and easy to clean. A Hawley retainer, a wire across the front teeth held by an acrylic plate, is more visible and more durable and allows the teeth to settle slightly. Removable retainers can be taken out to eat and brush, and they only work when they are worn.
Fixed retainers. A thin wire bonded behind the lower front teeth, sometimes the upper ones, holds those teeth in place without any effort on your part. It suits teeth that were badly rotated or crowded and are prone to relapse, patients who would rather not depend on remembering a tray, and cases where the lower front teeth are the main concern. It needs careful cleaning and periodic checks, and it protects only the teeth it is bonded to.
Many patients have both: a fixed wire on the lower front teeth and a removable retainer over everything. Dr. Hong recommends the combination that fits your case and your habits.
The wearing schedule
- For a period after treatment the retainer is worn full time, out only to eat and brush, for as long as Dr. Hong instructs; the teeth are least stable then.
- After that it moves to nights only.
- Nights only continues indefinitely, which in practice means for as long as you want your teeth to stay where they are.
- If you have gone weeks without wearing it and it feels tight, wear it anyway, if it goes in without forcing.
- If it will not seat, call us.
Care and replacement
- Rinse a removable retainer with cool water after taking it out and brush it gently with a soft brush and a little soap, not toothpaste, which scratches the plastic.
- Keep it in its case when it is out of your mouth; retainers wrapped in napkins end up in the trash.
- Keep it away from heat, hot water, dogs and dishwashers.
- Clear retainers wear over time and are replaced when they crack, cloud or loosen; a Hawley retainer lasts longer.
- A fixed retainer is brushed along the wire and flossed beneath it with a floss threader or a water flosser, and checked at your visits. If a section of the wire comes loose from a tooth, call promptly, because that tooth will start to move.
A lost or broken retainer should be replaced within days, not weeks. Call us, and a replacement is made from a new scan; the fee is set out in your estimate.
If your teeth have already shifted
This is fixable. If the movement is small, a new retainer made to the current position holds the teeth where they are, and some patients are happy with that. If the teeth have moved further, a short course of clear aligners brings them back, followed by retainers that are worn this time. For adults with significant relapse from treatment long ago, a fuller course may be worth it, and our adult orthodontics page describes the options. Either way, the first step is a complimentary consultation with Dr. Hong, who assesses how far things have moved and what it would take.
Retainers and cosmetic work
Teeth with veneers or bonding move just as teeth without them do, and when they move, the porcelain goes with them and the smile changes. After veneers, Dr. Kottar makes a retainer to wear at night as a matter of course, and after any cosmetic work that followed orthodontic treatment the existing retainer is remade to fit the new shapes. Patients who grind at night may have a night guard made instead, designed to do both jobs; wearing a retainer and a guard at the same time is not practical, and we work out which appliance you need.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to wear my retainer?
Indefinitely, at night. Full time at first, for as long as Dr. Hong instructs, then nights only, for as long as you want your teeth to stay where they are. Teeth drift at any age, and the retainer is the only thing that stops it.
Removable or fixed?
A removable clear retainer suits most patients and is easy to keep clean. A fixed wire behind the lower front teeth suits teeth that are prone to relapse and patients who would rather not depend on remembering. Many people have both. Dr. Hong recommends based on the case.
My retainer does not fit any more. What now?
Do not force it. Call us. If the teeth have moved a little, a new retainer can hold them where they are; if they have moved more, a short course of aligners brings them back first. The longer the retainer has been out, the more work it takes.
I lost my retainer. How quickly do I need a new one?
Within days, not weeks. Teeth begin to drift soon after a retainer stops being worn, especially in the first year after treatment. Call us and we will make a replacement from a new scan; the replacement fee is set out in your estimate.
How do I clean a fixed retainer?
Brush along the wire and floss under it daily with a floss threader or a water flosser. We check it at your visits, and if the wire comes loose from a tooth, call us promptly so the tooth does not move before it is re-bonded.
Do I need a retainer after veneers?
Yes. We make a night retainer after veneers as a matter of course, because the teeth behind the porcelain can still shift and a retainer protects the work. It is one of the things the two doctors agree on.
Sources
Professional guidelines and peer-reviewed reviews this page draws on.
- Martin C, Littlewood SJ, Millett DT, et al. Retention procedures for stabilising tooth position after treatment with orthodontic braces. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2023;5:CD002283. Cochrane
