5 Tips to Care for Your Retainer

Retainers are appliances used after orthodontic treatment to prevent your teeth from shifting back to their original position after getting braces. Everyone needs a retainer after orthodontic treatment. Retainers are either fixed or permanent. Your teeth will take four to six months to become permanent in the new position. Teeth will always try to shift back to the original place, a process called relapse. Therefore, you need Brooklyn retainers to prevent teeth relapse. Below are tips to help care for your retainer.

Regular cleaning

Take a retainer as part of your teeth and clean them regularly as instructed by your specialist. Tartar can build up on your retainer, causing damage or infection and spreading it to your teeth, so you need to clean it properly. You can clean a retainer by brushing it with lukewarm water. You can also use toothpaste and scrub your retainer gently and finally rinse it with water before returning it into your mouth. Do not forget to clean the retainer case to avoid germs spreading to the retainer and your teeth.

Avoid heat

Excess heat can damage your retainers. Heat causes the plastic on your retainer to warp or melt, reducing its strength and affecting how it fits on your teeth, reducing its effectiveness. Avoid leaving your retainer in the sun or near a heat source. Take off your retainer when taking hot beverages. Never clean your retainer with boiling water thinking it is a great way to enhance hygiene. Always use warm water.

Take care when putting on your retainer

Ensure you take care when putting on your retainer and make sure it fits perfectly. Make sure there are no spaces left between your teeth and the retainer. Use of fingers helps proper placement. Ensure you also do not bite your retainers. Biting can crack and damage your retainer, so you must replace it. Improper placement of a retainer will reduce its effectiveness and may cause the teeth to take back their original position. When putting it off, please do not force it at once but first loosen it in several places and finally remove it gently.

Keep your retainer safely

It will help keep your retainers in a safe place to avoid loss as replacing them can be expensive. Always keep your retainer in its case when you are eating or not active. You can have your phone number on the retainer case as a way to get it back in case of loss. If you are in a hotel, do not wrap your retainer case on a napkin because you will likely forget, or a waiter will take it away. Only remove your retainer when necessary.

Replace when needed

It would help if you carried your retainer every time you have an appointment with your specialist. The specialist will always check if the retainer has deformities like wear and tear. Having a spare retainer can help you replace it immediately. Since wear and tear are ordinary, replace the retainer at once if you note any defect.

Ensure you wear your retainer at all times for superb results. Call Brooklyn Heights Orthodontics to schedule an appointment for any issues concerning your retainer.