Wearing and Caring for your Retainer

Wear

• Wear the appliance at all times and during sleep unless you have been specifically instructed otherwise
• If the retainer is worn after a long absence, it will feel tight. It will exert excessive pressure on your teeth, which is harmful to your teeth
• Do not wear the retainer while brushing
• Do not wear the retainer while swimming or playing sports
• Please be gentle when removing and wearing the appliance. Avoid playing with the appliance or flipping it with your tongue. This will eventually distort your appliance and will break the wire and retainer

Taste: The “plastic” taste sometimes experienced in a new appliance will disappear after a day.

Speech: It will take a day or two to be comfortable talking with your appliance. Reading aloud to yourself can help you become more quickly accustomed to its presence.

Cleaning

The retainer can be soaked in a small container with a tablet of Efferdent, Polident or any denture-cleaning tablet. Place the retainer and the tablet in the empty container, fill with water, and let it soak for 5-10 minutes. Please rinse the retainer with cold water before wearing.

• After brushing your teeth, brush your appliance with your toothbrush and toothpaste
• Please wear the retainer as soon as you have cleaned it
• Do not use Clorox or alcohol to clean the appliance
• Do not rinse your appliance with hot water

Safety

The safest place for your appliance is in your mouth. If you take it out, it should be in your retainer case.

• Do not wrap it in a paper napkin or tissue. Someone will throw it out.
• Do not put it in your pocket or in backpack without the case - it may break.
• Do not keep it within reach of your pets. It will get chewed.
• Do not leave your appliance on top of an oven, microwave, radio, television, on a car dashboard or any place where heat can distort it.
• Do not attempt to adjust the retainer yourself. If a piece of acrylic or wire is damaged, please call the office to schedule an appointment.