Published on January 5, 2016, Updated on April 15, 2019

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Hawley Retainers

• Wear your appliance a minimum of 16 hours per day, from when you return home from school/work until you wake up in the morning. Sleeping time alone is NOT enough! Do not wear it when you are eating.
• Take your retainers out when eating…and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
• Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and liquid hand soap. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque and eliminates odors. Efferdent or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used but these do not take the place of brushing.
• 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 aloud 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.
• Remove retainers when swimming, skiing, or playing contact sports.
• Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.
• Always bring your retainers to your appointments.
• If you do happen to lose or break your appliance, make sure to call the office right away. If you wait too long your teeth will shift and may require braces again to straighten. This is your responsibility.
• Retainer replacement is expensive…with proper care they will last for years!

ESSIX Retainers

• Wear your appliance a minimum of 16 hours per day, from when you return home from school/work until you wake up in the morning. Sleeping time alone is NOT enough! Do not wear it when you are eating.
• Take your retainers out when eating…and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
• Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and liquid hand soap. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque and eliminates odors. Efferdent or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used but these do not take the place of brushing.
• 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 aloud 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.
• Remove retainers when swimming, skiing, or playing contact sports.
• Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.
• Always bring your retainers to your appointments.
• If you do happen to lose or break your appliance, make sure to call the office right away. If you wait too long your teeth will shift and may require braces again to straighten. This is your responsibility.
• Retainer replacement is expensive…with proper care they will last for years!

Fixed Retainers

• A floss threader is needed to floss underneath the wire. This does require a little more effort, but the fixed retainer acts as a very good retainer.
• A waterpik may be a helpful aid to keep the area clean. If you ever feel one side loose or something doesn’t feel right (for example pressure on the teeth). Call our office and schedule an appointment right away to prevent teeth from shifting.
• Sometimes extra cleanings at your dentist may be recommended to keep the area clean. Fixed retainers are very strong, but even these can break. Be careful with using the front teeth to bite into extra hard things like carrots and nuts.
• If poor hygiene is an issue, fixed retainer will be removed and replaced with removable one. Leaving FR in a poor oral environment may result is severe damage to your teeth and supporting structures. You should maintain some sort of retainer throughout life. (think of the retainers like glasses).
• As a courtesy we will cover any breakage of the fixed retainer for the first year, after this will be you responsibility to cover repair/or replacement retainers.