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Types of Appliances
| Retainer Instructions
Retainer Instructions
- Wear your retainers full time, 24 hours per day, until the doctor instructs otherwise.
- Leave your retainers in when eating. (Most appliances are lost in school lunchrooms or restaurants.)
- Clean retainers thoroughly twice a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Brushing retainers removes the plaque, and eliminates odors. Efferdent or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used, but do not take the place of brushing.
- Do not soak your retainers in mouthwash. Use denture cleaners instead.
- When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case. Pets love to chew on them!
- Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud to get used to them faster.
- Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken call us immediately.
- If you have any questions or concerns about your retainers, or your retainers need adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust them yourself.
- Always bring your retainers to your appointments.
- Retainer replacement is expensive; with proper care they will last for years!
- Remove retainers when swimming in an ocean, lake, or river. (They sink.)
- Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, the dishwasher and napkins.
- Do not play with, click, or flip your retainers in your mouth. This will cause the wire to weaken and eventually break.
- Never wrap retainers in a napkin or tissue. If retainers are not in the mouth, they need to be in a retainer case.