Your retainer is an important part of protecting your teeth and ensuring that your orthodontic treatment remains effective. However, because you will be expected to wear your retainer over the long-term, the retainer will eventually need to be replaced. This may mean that the retainer will break at an unexpected moment, which can leave your teeth vulnerable. Here are a few tips for what to do if your retainer breaks.

Wear your Retainer Consistently

It is important to ensure that you wear your retainer consistently. The more time you spend wearing your retainer, the better protected your teeth will be. Though this doesn’t mean that you can go a prolonged period without wearing a retainer, it can still give you a little bit of wiggle room if your retainer breaks.

Clean it Regularly

Preventing damage to your retainer often involves ensuring that you care for it appropriately. This means that you need to clean the retainer on a regular basis. You should clean your retainer at least once a day, either in the evening or at night, and disinfect it once a week. By taking these steps, you will be able to keep your retainer clean. It will also help you to find the presence of damage when it occurs.

Store the Retainer Correctly

Retainers can be susceptible to damage, especially damage by force. It is important to ensure that you store your retainer correctly in order to prevent accidents from causing damage to the retainer. You should never leave your retainer laying out in the open. Not only are they tempting for pets, but they can break somewhat easily if they are dropped or crushed. Store your retainer in a hard case whenever you aren’t wearing it.

Contact Our Office Immediately

The best thing to do when your retainer breaks is to have a replacement made immediately. As soon as you have noted damage to your retainer, you will want to ensure that you contact our office to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. This will enable us to construct a new retainer to help ensure that your orthodontic treatment remains as effective as possible.

Permanent Retainer Damage

The next step will depend primarily on the type of retainer that you have. When you have a permanent retainer, you will want a family member to examine it for you, since you will be unable to do so yourself. They will be able to identify the extent of the damage. You may need your orthodontist to remove the retainer in order to prevent it from causing damage to the inside of the mouth.

Removable Retainers

If you have a removable retainer, you will want to inspect the extent of the damage. If there is only a small crack, you may be able to continue using your removable retainer in the meantime, until you are able to procure a replacement. However, if the cracks are severe or the retainer is broken in half, you will no longer be able to continue using it. In these situations, the best thing to do is get your replacement made as soon as possible.

A retainer breaking can cause a great deal of anxiety. After all, it is likely that you spent a great deal of time with your orthodontic treatment. Your retainer is an important strategy for protecting your teeth and ensuring that you retain the benefits of your treatment. If your retainer has broken recently, it will be important to obtain a replacement as quickly as possible. Our experienced team at Bailey Orthodontics can help you to do that. For more information about how to handle a broken retainer while still protecting your teeth, contact us at Bailey Orthodontics today!

After you have had orthodontic treatment, the last thing that you want is for your teeth to revert to their previous state. This would ultimately mean a great deal of money and effort wasted. Wearing your retainer is an important component of keeping your teeth in good condition. It is important to understand how long your retainer will need to be worn in order to provide this protection for your teeth. Always follow the instructions of your orthodontist in order to ensure that your smile stays in the best possible condition.

Important to be Proactive

It is important to take a proactive approach to your orthodontic maintenance after you have finished your treatment. In general, it is easier to wear a retainer on a regular basis than it is to go through the orthodontic process again. Proactivity can be extremely beneficial in maintaining a beautiful, pristine smile.

Teeth are Always Moving

Unfortunately, the teeth are always moving. Though this movement is slight, it is still there. This is a process that is referred to as mesial drift. In many cases, your teeth seem to have a “memory” of their previous location and will tend to shift back to that state. Due to this, it is likely that you will have to wear a retainer indefinitely to protect your teeth. The amount of time in which you have to wear your retainer, however, will depend primarily on the stage in which you are at following your orthodontic treatment.

The First 3 to 6 Months

During the first 3 to 6 months after the completion of your orthodontic treatment, your teeth will be most vulnerable to quickly shifting back to their original location. Due to this, it will be extremely important to ensure that you wear a retainer for as long as possible over time. In most situations, you will need to wear your retainer for 22 hours a day following the removal of your braces. The retainer should really only be removed to enable you to eat and care for your teeth.

The First Two Years

After the first 6 months following your orthodontic treatment, the gum tissue tends to solidify more firmly, which will reduce the speed in which the teeth will shift. From this time to the two years following your treatment, you will need to wear your retainer nightly.

Three Years Plus

More than three years after your orthodontic treatment, you will still be required to wear your retainer as often as possible. Occasionally missing a night here and there won’t result in disaster, but it is still important to wear it regularly. Many people start to wear their retainer every other night at this point.

Follow Orthodontic Instructions

Though these are generalities regarding wearing a retainer, they are not set recommendations. Everyone’s smile is different and the amount of time in which you will have to wear your retainer will depend on many factors. It is important to listen to your orthodontist, who is aware of each of these various factors. Follow your orthodontic instructions to ensure that you are able to provide the right protection for your smile.

Types of Retainers

It is important to note that there are multiple types of retainers that may also impact this. With removable retainers, it will be important to keep in mind how much time you spend wearing them. Permanent retainers, however, are adhered to the surface of the teeth. Though this will ensure you are always wearing them for the appropriate amount of time, it may make it more difficult to appropriately care for your teeth. Your orthodontist will be able to guide you through the right kind of retainer to meet your needs.

Wearing a retainer will help to keep your teeth straight and pristine after you have completed your orthodontic treatment. Though this may require nightly wear, it is a far better alternative to having your orthodontic work reversed due to neglect. For more information about the importance of wearing a retainer, as well as the amount of time in which you should be wearing your retainer, contact our experienced team at Bailey Orthodontics today!

Invisalign clear aligners are a great strategy to straighten your teeth. In many cases, people opt for Invisalign clear aligners because they are less visible than traditional braces. However, there are many additional benefits of using Invisalign for your teeth straightening solutions. Invisalign can make it easier to care for your teeth while they are being straightened and even reduces the amount of time you have to spend visiting your orthodontist. Many adults opt for Invisalign for their teeth straightening solution in order to provide an efficient solution for their orthodontic treatment.

It May Take Time to Adjust

When you first begin using Invisalign or obtain a new set of aligners, it is important to keep in mind that it may take some time for your teeth to adjust to the new pressure. You may feel a bit of discomfort while your teeth are adjusting to the new aligners. Keep this in mind and remember that it will only take a few days for your discomfort to diminish.

Take Out Aligners Before Eating

One of the major benefits of Invisalign aligners is that they aren’t intended to be worn while eating. This means that you won’t have to change your food preferences to accommodate your orthodontic appliance. However, it also means that you need to remember to take out your aligners before eating. This will help to limit damage to the aligners and help you to keep your teeth in good condition.

Wear for the Right Amount of Time

A major problem many people experience with clear aligners is that they don’t wear them for the appropriate amount of time. It is essential to ensure that you wear your clear aligners according to your orthodontist’s recommendations every day. In some situations, you may even want to wear the aligners for longer than the recommendation. This will help to ensure that your orthodontic treatment is effective. When you don’t wear your aligners as intended, it is likely that your treatment won’t be as effective as it can be, which can prolong the length of time of your treatment.

Care for your Teeth

When you are having orthodontic treatment of any kind, it is important that you continue to care for your teeth appropriately. Brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day. Invisalign clear aligners make this somewhat easier because you can remove your aligners in order to care for your teeth. You will also need to floss daily. Using mouthwash can help to strengthen your teeth and minimize the likelihood that they will sustain damage. When you care for your teeth, you help to keep them in good condition.

Attend All of your Appointments

While Invisalign treatment will extend the length of time between your orthodontic appointments, it will still be important to ensure that you attend all of your scheduled appointments. These appointments allow your orthodontist to track your progress and develop new sets of aligners to continue your treatment. It will also ensure that they are able to identify any problems that may arise throughout the process.

Carry a Case

You should always care an aligner case with you. Many people have heard stories of retainers being thrown away incidentally with lunch and Invisalign clear aligners are no different. When you carry a case, you can ensure that you can place your aligners in a safe place whenever you remove them. This is also essential in homes with pets. Pets tend to destroy aligners, so keeping them in a case can help to prevent damage.

Clean your Aligners

Aligners need to be cleaned every day in order to prevent them from sustaining damage. Gently brush them with a toothbrush each night to clear away any debris. However, ensure that you don’t use toothpaste during this cleaning process. Toothpaste can cause discoloration and even damage to your Invisalign clear aligners.

Keep your Last Set of Aligners

Don’t throw away your old set of aligners when a new set arrives. When you keep your old set of aligners, you will have a backup in case your current set becomes damaged or lost. This will enable you to wear those until the new set of aligners can be replaced.  

Invisalign can be a great way to obtain a beautiful smile and following these tips can make it an even better solution. These steps can also improve the health of your smile and ensure that your treatment is much more effective. Our team at Bailey Orthodontics can help you to obtain a pristine, straight smile. To learn more about how to make your life with Invisalign much easier, contact us at Bailey Orthodontics today!