Orthodontists Serving Denver, Cherry Creek, Stapleton & Nearby Areas of Colorado
Retainers keep your newly straightened teeth aligned for the long term. Without retainers, your teeth will begin to shift and could become crooked again.
There are several types of retainers you can get to maintain your orthodontic treatment, so it’s important to know your options. Experienced orthodontists Dr. Robert Rudman and Dr. Jeff Birg will work with you at Advanced Orthodontic Care in Denver, Colorado, to help you find the right retainer.
Why Wear a Retainer After Braces?
Teeth are prone to "relapsing," which means they want to shift and return to their former positions after your orthodontic treatment is complete. That's why you need a retainer to keep your teeth in their new, straight positions.
Retention protocols vary based on your specific case, but for most patients, your orthodontist will prescribe a constant use of the retainer for a number of weeks. During this time, you'll only remove the retainer to eat, brush, and floss.
This constant wear is essential when your braces first come off. The ligaments, bones, and tissues surrounding your teeth will still be adapting to the new alignment of your teeth. After this time, your doctor will likely recommend wearing your retainer nightly.
Which Type of Retainer Is Best for Me?
We offer these three basic types of retainers at Advanced Orthodontic Care:
- Clear plastic retainers, also called Essix retainers. These trays are customized to your teeth using impressions of your bite after your braces come off. You can easily remove and replace them on your teeth as needed.
- Permanent/bonded retainers are thin wires permanently bonded to the back surface of your teeth. Also called fixed retainers, we usually place the wires on the back of the lower teeth, but you can also get them behind the upper front teeth. Permanent retainers are especially useful if you previously had gapped, rotated, or badly misaligned teeth, which have a high relapse risk.
- Hawley retainers have an acrylic base and wires that wrap around the teeth. The wires can be adjusted for various purposes. These retainers are a little less common than the two other types.
Your orthodontist will recommend the retainer that will work best for you. A bonded retainer combined with the nightly wear of an Essix retainer is often the most effective.
Can I Get a Retainer Instead of Braces?
Some people like the idea of closing a gap or straightening their teeth with a retainer and skipping the braces altogether. While this is theoretically possible for the most minor, tiny adjustments, it would take several years or longer and could end up being ineffective. Retainers are designed to retain movement that has already happened, not to perform the movement itself.
Using a retainer to straighten teeth is generally not a good idea and not recommended by orthodontists committed to your best results. If you don’t want braces and are looking for an alternative, arrange a consultation with Dr. Rudman or Dr. Birg to learn more about your other options.
Invisalign® uses clear teeth trays to straighten teeth, while Incognito® braces are placed on the inner, tongue-facing surface of your teeth. We can determine if you are a candidate for either of these in your consultation. Even if you'd benefit most from traditional braces, clear brackets may be an option for a lower profile.
We want you to enjoy strong, aligned teeth and a beautiful smile. As such, we’ll recommend the treatments we know will work best for you in the long run.
Why Choose Advanced Orthodontic Care?
If you’re looking for a team that genuinely cares about giving you a smile you’ll love, Advanced Orthodontic Care is the place to be.
Dr. Robert Rudman and Dr. Jeff Birg aren’t just experts in their field — they’re passionate about making sure every patient feels comfortable throughout their treatment. Dr. Rudman has been helping people achieve their best smiles with orthodontics for over 20 years. Dr. Birg is a board-certified orthodontist who brings fresh energy and a laid-back vibe to the office. They work together to make the entire process as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Whether you’re interested in braces, Invisalign®, or something else, our doctors will come up with a plan that’s right for you. We want to make sure you leave with a great smile and a great experience.
Who Is an Ideal Candidate for Retainers?
Retainers are ideal if you want your teeth to stay straight for years to come. The most common candidates for retainers have just finished orthodontic treatment with braces or clear aligners. Generally, it’s a bad idea to use retainers to make adjustments without braces.
Dental retainers also have other purposes beyond moving teeth. For example, some types of retainers can help children break thumb-sucking habits or treat a condition called tongue thrust.
That said, retainers are primarily used to prevent teeth from shifting out of their proper positions.
Do You Need Impressions for a Retainer?
Yes. We can take impressions from 3D scans using a special dental tool called a wand, or take molds of your teeth with dental putty.
The biggest difference between the two is that a 3D scanner is more accurate and doesn’t require biting down on a tray to make a mold of your mouth.
3D Retainer Scans
Getting 3D scans couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is sit still while the orthodontist moves the wand around your mouth, taking hundreds of 3D images that create a model for the lab to make your retainer from.
You only need to avoid eating before your scan, as your teeth must be completely clean before the scans. If you do have a meal before your appointment, be sure to brush thoroughly and use mouthwash to remove excess particles from your teeth. Other than that, you don’t have to do anything special before or after.
The best part is no bad-tasting putty left behind. You can return to your regular day as soon as we’ve completed the scans.
Retainer Impressions
Some patients are concerned about the taste of the putty with retainer impressions; others worry they’ll gag the entire time the tray is in their mouth. While there are new dental impression materials that don’t taste as bad as previous ones, gagging can still be a challenge.
Tell your orthodontic team if this is a concern for you. We can help you relax and take the process slow to avoid triggering a gag reflex.
You can also try squeezing your thumb tightly in a fist, which can stop the urge to gag when the tray is in your mouth.
Will I Need to Wear Retainers While I Sleep?
We advise most patients to wear their retainers overnight. But there’s no reason to feel daunted by the idea of sleeping with retainers. They should not be uncomfortable after you get used to them.
Plus, some retainers have the added benefit of preventing teeth grinding. Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, can disrupt your sleep and cause symptoms like jaw pain, facial soreness, and headaches. It can even damage your teeth!
Will My Retainers Be Noticeable?
Modern dental retainers come in a variety of styles, and some are more noticeable than others. Your options include:
- Clear retainers that fit over the teeth and look similar to Invisalign® trays. They’re discreet, and other people may not be able to tell that you are wearing them at all.
- Permanent bonded retainers that are even more undetectable because their tiny wires are fixed to the back surface of your teeth. Many patients enjoy the convenience of this option.
- Hawley retainers, which are the most noticeable. They feature a plastic or acrylic base connected to a thin wire that goes across the front of your teeth.
Do I Need To Remove Retainers While Playing Sports?
It’s generally best to remove your retainer before playing sports. It could become damaged or lost. And if you hurt your mouth or take a blow to the face, your retainer will not offer any sort of protection.
Take your retainer out and store it in a case where it will be safe while you are physically active. Consider wearing a mouthguard instead to help prevent an oral injury.
Of course, you can’t remove a bonded retainer. In this case, we may advise you to wear a mouthguard to keep your retainer and smile safe during these activities.
Our recommendations can vary depending on the specific sport. Talk to your orthodontist for personalized advice.
Do I Wear My Retainer for Life?
Teeth continue to want to shift years after completing your orthodontic treatment. Retainers prevent them from doing so. If you stop wearing your retainer down the road, your teeth will eventually tilt, shift, and become crooked again.
Wearing your retainer every night will keep your teeth straight, though some people can reduce their wear to two to three nights per week.
How Can I Care for & Maintain My Retainers Long-Term?
When you get your retainer, our team will go over the care instructions so you know what to do. Here are the main takeaways for removable retainers:
- Clean your retainer. When you remove your retainers in the morning, rinse them under lukewarm water before storing them. Don't use hot water because the temperature could potentially warp the plastic. To remove built-up deposits, submerge your retainers in a denture cleaning solution once a week.
- Don't clean it with toothpaste. The paste is abrasive and will scrape up the surface of the retainers at some point.
- Don't clean it with bleach or other harsh chemicals. Stick to water and denture solution.
- Store your retainer in its case. It's easy to lose track of these small, clear aligners. So be sure to put them in their case when you aren't wearing them.
- Keep retainers away from pets. Dogs tend to be attracted to the smell of retainers and have been known to chew them up or eat them. If you have dogs, keep your retainer where they can't get to it.
Bonded retainers require the extra step of threaded floss. This floss has a stiff end that can be inserted beneath the wire, allowing you to floss between your teeth. It's important to floss beneath the bonded retainer, even though it requires a little extra effort.
How Easy Is It to Replace a Lost Retainer?
If you can’t find your retainer, don’t worry – they aren’t difficult to replace. Contact your orthodontist, and they will walk you through the replacement process. This may include taking a new impression of your teeth and sending it off to the lab so they can make a new retainer tray.
If your retainer was made using digital scans, then your orthodontist may have them on file and can order a new tray without needing additional images or impressions.
Can I Eat or Drink With My Retainer In?
Take out removable retainers like Essix clear trays or Hawley retainers before eating or drinking anything other than water. Food and drinks can stain the plastic, and eating with the retainer in can cause damage to the retainer itself.
For bonded retainers, you can eat normally, but be mindful of cleaning around the wire to prevent the buildup of plaque and food particles.
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Learn More About Retainers
Dr. Rudman, Dr. Birg, and our team are happy to answer questions about retainers and what they can and cannot do. To learn more or to arrange a consultation at our Denver and Stapleton-area office, please call Advanced Orthodontic Care at 303-331-0222.
