Retention

When we remove your braces, we will begin the retention stage of your treatment. Retention lasts for a minimum of 24 months. Your final orthodontic result depends on your retainer wear.

There are two types of retention appliances. Dr. Holman and Dr. Yang will discuss which is best for you near the end of your treatment.

The Hawley retainer is a removable retainer made of acrylic (plastic) and wire. It is custom-made in a mold and fits your mouth precisely.

The retainer should be worn full time for 2-3 months, then nightly thereafter for two years. After two years it is recommended you wear it at night once per week to maintain your occlusion.

A positioner is a device which fine tunes your occlusion. It is made from a special rubber material and only fits your mouth.

You will wear it as much as you can for the first 3-4 days. Then for the next month or two you will need to exercise with it 2-3 hours per day and wear it while sleeping. After that you will only wear it while sleeping. If it falls out during the night, try to make up for the lost time by wearing it for two hours during the next day.

Retentive appliances can be lost and broken easily.

Do not wrap in tissue or a napkin
Keep away from pets
When it’s not in your mouth, keep it in the case provided

Ten top lost or broken retainer stories:

The dog ate it.
It blew out of the car window.
I dropped it and stepped on it.
My dad sat on it.
It got thrown away at the restaurant/school.
It got lost in my bedroom.
I left it on the dash of the car and it melted.
I left it in a pocket and it went through the washer and dryer.
It was stolen.
We went on vacation and I left it in the hotel.