Retain­er Real­i­ties: Post‑Aligner Wear and Longevi­ty Strategies

If you needed orthodontic treatment, this means that the easiest position for your teeth to take is not perfectly aligned. To maintain the results after treatment, you’ll wear an aligner at night time for as long as you want to keep your teeth looking perfect.

In this guide, we’re looking at the importance of retainers, the different types available and how long you can expect each retainer to last. We’ll also look at essential retainer care to ensure you don’t cause damage to your oral health.

Why are retainers so important for orthodontic treatment?

At the end of your orthodontic treatment, you might be looking forward to never having to wear an aligner again, so it can be disappointing to learn that you’ll need to keep wearing one.

However, this retainer is different, as you’ll only need to wear it at night time. It’s also not putting any pressure on your teeth, it’s only holding them in place. For this reason, it should be a lot less noticeable than other retainers.

Types of retainers available

There are three main types of retainers available:

• Removable (clear)

• Removable (wired)

• Fixed (wire bonded)

Within these categories, there are different brands available. The most popular brands are as follows:

Vivera retainers are recommended by Invisalign. These are removable and clear aligners that will look similar to your Invisalign aligners. Other brands that offer clear and removable retainers include Essix. These retainers will last around 12-18 months, but this can be longer with excellent care. Essix retainers can last between 6 months to three years, depending on care.

Hawley is a popular brand of removable wired braces. These feature an acrylic base plate with a wire apparatus that sits against your teeth. These retainers are built to last, with some patients reporting up to 10 years of wear from a single set.

Fixed and bonded retainers are attached to your teeth and not designed to be removed. You don’t have to do anything with these retainers except to clean your teeth as normal. This type of retainer will typically last up to 20 years.

How to care for a removable retainer

You’ll need to remove and clean your retainer every morning. One of the easiest ways to care for your retainer is to place it in a cleaning solution and leave it for the day. When you’re ready for bed that night, you’ll remove the aligner from the cleaning solution and rinse it with water before putting the aligner back in your mouth.

It’s important to make sure you put your aligner back in last thing at night, once you have finished eating or drinking anything other than plain water. You’ll need to avoid drinking cordial at night time and make sure you finish any bedtime tea before you put your aligner in for the night.

Extending the life of your retainer

There are a few ways to extend the life of your retainer. Ultimately, the life of your retainer will often depend on your sleep habits and how well you care for your teeth and aligners.

Heat is one of the biggest enemies for removable retainers, including thermoplastic and acrylic retainers. You’ll need to keep your aligner away from extreme heat, as this can warp the shape and make it ineffective.

You should also avoid drinking anything hot while wearing your aligner. If you had clear aligner treatment, you’ll already be familiar with the rules about removing your aligner or retainer before eating or drinking anything. You can drink plain water, but you should avoid things like cordial, as this can damage your tooth enamel and stain your retainer.

Sleeping habits like teeth grinding can impact your retainer. Even if you aren’t aware you are doing this, the evidence will be clear from the condition of your retainer. You might need to add a mouth guard over your retainer while you address the cause of your nocturnal teeth grinding.

Getting a new retainer

If your retainer has reached the end of its life, don’t make this the time that you stop wearing on. A simple trip to the dentist will allow you to quickly get fitted for a new retainer so that you can continue to enjoy a perfectly straight smile.

If you’ve stopped wearing your retainer for a while and are worried about how this has impacted your teeth, visit your dentist for a checkup. They might recommend a short-term orthodontic plan to help get your teeth back into the correct alignment so that you can smile with confidence again.