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Retainers
 Once your braces are removed, evening and night-time clear plastic retainers are fitted to hold your teeth in their new positions. Retention is an important part of your overall treatment and should not be neglected. Everyone’s teeth move throughout life whether or not you have had braces. If you stop wearing your retainers after one year of retention then some people will have little relapse and some people will have some, or a lot of relapse. Relapse is when the teeth try to move back to their original positions so wasting the good work that has been achieved by the brace. Unfortunately no-one can predict beforehand who will have relapse. So, if you want guarantee your teeth will stay exactly their new ideal position for the rest of your life, then you will need to have long-term retention. This practice will monitor your retention for one year after active treatment, but you are responsible for identifying any tooth movement or a broken retainer and telling the practice immediately. You are also responsible for ensuring that you wear your retainers as directed and get new retainers as and when the originals wear out. In general permanent retention is recommended as we want you to have a perfect smile for the rest of your life. Orthodontic treatment only needs to be done once if good retention is adhered to. If relapse occurs it can only be because retainers have not been worn. There is a charge for replacement retainers under both the NHS and private systems. Please ask about retention before treatment starts if you are unsure what long-term retention means.
Retainers should be looked after carefully to avoid breakages or loss. Place them in a rigid retainer box when not being worn. Never wrap a retainer in a tissue or place it in your pocket. It will be thrown out or broken. Brush a retainer with a toothbrush on both sides until it is sparkling clean after each use. Never eat or drink with retainers in.
Removable Appliances
Removable appliances are used to tip teeth rather than move
teeth bodily. They can in some cases influence the shape of
the dental arches and the shape of the jaws to change facial
profile. They are usually used before and in conjunction with
fixed appliances.
Removable appliances are not utilized to treat all orthodontic problems. It takes
skill, and experience to recognize conditions that will respond favorably to
removable appliances. Timing of such therapy also is very important.
Removable appliances require care. Although you may notice an effect on eating
and speaking along with an increase in the flow of saliva, you will eventually
adjust to the appliance after three days. Apart from cleaning, if you take the
removable appliance out even for a short time, then you will never get used to
it. You must wear the removable appliance all the time except for cleaning, for
it to work.
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