Retainer Protocol After Invisalign Treatment

RETAINER PROTOCOL AFTER INVISALIGN TREATMENT

After orthodontic treatment is complete the most reliable way to keep your teeth where you and Dr. Gilman moved them is by wearing your retainer.  Changes in tooth position is a naturally occurring process throughout life, and to maintain the result created by your orthodontic treatment, retainers must be worn forever.  While small changes after treatment are normal, retainers prevent teeth from going back to their original positions.  When treatment is complete, there is a “settling in” period; teeth adjust as you bite, chew, and speak.  These small changes in tooth position are not a failure of orthodontic treatment, but are a natural process.  If your retainer is not worn as prescribed, however, large changes will occur.  Below are the recommendations for wearing your retainers once your orthodontic treatment is finished.

1st year:  Please wear your retainers every night starting after dinner until you wake up in the morning.

2nd year:  For the second year your retainers should be worn at least every other night while you sleep.

3rd year:  At this point we recommend that you wear your retainer at least one night per week. FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!  That’s right……..you’ll need to wear your retainer for as long as you want to keep your teeth straight!

YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN MULTIPLE EXTRA UPPER AND LOWER PASSIVE ALIGNERS THAT WILL FUNCTION AS A RETAINER.  EACH INDIVIDUAL RETAINER CAN LAST UP  6 to 12 MONTHS—PLEASE DO NOT SWITCH RETAINERS WEEKLY AS YOU WERE DOING WITH YOUR ALIGNERS DURING YOUR ACTIVE TREATMENT.

To keep your retainers clean, all you need to do is rinse them with cold water after you take them out of your mouth in the morning.  Shake them dry and place back in the retainer case.  That’s it!!  Since you are not eating with them, they will not get dirty. You can use a clear mouth rinse to help freshen up the retainers…a colored mouth rinse could make the retainer turn green.  You can use a toothbrush with toothpaste as well.

As part of your treatment, we offer to check your smile on a 6 month basis for two years (at no additional charge).  When you come for your retainer check appointment, please remember to bring your retainers for Dr. Gilman to check that they fit.  Another option is to have a virtual retainer check by sending your photo to Dr. Gilman with your retainer in place.  Please click this link for instructions on how to take the retainer check photo.

Please remember that if your wisdom teeth are removed, you must immediately wear your retainers as soon as possible after you heal from the procedure to prevent any shifting of your teeth.

If retainers are lost or damaged, please call the office immediately. You do not want your teeth to shift.  New imprints of the teeth will be necessary to ensure the accuracy of the fit. There could be an additional fee of $500 to create the new retainers if you have lost your set of extra retainers.  If you do not follow the retainer protocol,  the fee for “re-treatment” could be at least $2500 or more depending on the amount of time needed to correct the alignment of the teeth.