Lost or Broken Retainers

Retainers play a crucial part in your orthodontic treatment. When the braces come off, your teeth will naturally want to return to their original positions. During the retention phase, our goal is to keep your teeth in the positions we prescribe. By consistently wearing your retainers after braces, we can help your teeth “remember” where they’re supposed to be.

Storing Your Retainer

The best way to keep your retainer safe when not in your mouth is to keep them in the case. The majority of the time, patients lose their retainers when they remove them to eat and leave them in a napkin. All too often, they get thrown away on accident! Pets are also fond of playing with retainers accidentally left on a counter or on the floor, so take care of your retainers and keep them in their case if you’re not wearing them.

Getting Replacements

If you lose or break your retainers at any point, it’s important to contact our office to fix or replace them. A broken or lost retainer can mean increased treatment time and costs if you wait too long to get new ones.

Fixing a Bonded Retainer

If you’ve broken a bonded retainer, you will need to contact our office to have it removed for repairs or replacement. At no point should you attempt to remove a bonded retainer by yourself. These are set onto your teeth with dental bonding and can damage your teeth if removed incorrectly.

If you can’t come in right away and the broken retainer is causing soreness in your mouth, avoid hard foods and rinse your mouth with warm salt water to lesson discomfort. Even if you think you’ve fixed your retainer, contact our office immediately to schedule an appointment.