Leeds Dental Institute
Orthodontic Reception
Your retainers are as important as your braces
If you do not wear your retainers as instructed, your teeth will move back towards how they were before treatment.
How often do I wear them?
Every patient has different requirements. Wear them as advised by your orthodontist. This is normally full-time (except at meal times) to start with and then later on it may be reduced to night-time wear only.
How long do I have to wear them for?
The best way to ensure that your teeth continue to remain straight is to wear the retainers at night-time for as long as possible.
How do I keep the retainers clean?
Clean the retainers with a toothbrush, a small amount of toothpaste and fast, cold running water.
Do NOT use hot water, bleach or detergent as these will discolour the retainers.
Can I eat or drink when wearing the retainers?
You should never eat or drink anything when you are wearing your retainers.
How do I keep the retainers safe?
When you are not wearing your retainer, keep it in the protective box which we have provided you with. Do not keep the retainers loose in your pocket or bag as they can easily get damaged.
What do I do if I lose the retainer?
If you lose or break your retainer, contact the department as soon as possible to make an appointment for a replacement retainer. It is important that you contact us quickly so that your teeth do not have the chance to move.
You may be charged a fee for a replacement retainer.
What do I do if the retainer rubs?
If the retainer rubs, you can smooth it with an emery board used to file finger nails.
If this doesn’t work and it is still uncomfortable, contact the department for further advice.
Bring your retainers to every appointment
It is important that you bring your retainers to each review appointment so that we can check that they still fit and adjust them, if needed.