Cosmetic retainers are a good option when correcting an overbite or straightening your smile, especially when you no longer wish to wear more metal. With the best retainer specialists like Ryan Pendleton DDS, you can achieve a perfect smile through customized orthodontics that fit your preferences. Additionally, you can get some relief if you are enduring sleep disorders like sleep apnea, suffer from TMJ, grind your teeth, or have impacted or crowded teeth. However, you have a role to play to ensure you get the most out of your treatment. Here are tips for your life with a retainer.
Wear as Directed
The most important thing with retainers is you wear them correctly. Your doctor will direct you on how you should wear orthodontics, and you have to do it exactly to achieve results. It will help your new smile remain intact and prevent your teeth from shifting. At first, you might have to wear the retainer all day and night except when eating. Over time, you might change to wearing the retainer only at night. However, always remember that the retainer can keep you from using braces again.
Cool Your Retainer and Avoid Heat
Enjoying a sunny day or a hot cup of tea is not friendly to your retainer. Your retainer’s plastic can warp or melt when exposed to excessive heat. That can affect how your retainer fits, limiting its strength and ability to hold your teeth. Therefore, protect your retainer from excess heat by not leaving it out in the sun or hot car. Avoid boiling or hot water when cleaning them and only use warm water.
Store Your Retainer in the Case
If you are using a removable retainer, you can get out when eating; always store the retainer in their case. Although that could make eating more excellent, it increases your chances of losing or damaging your retainer. That is why you should carry your retainer case everywhere with you. Although you can also wrap the retainer using a napkin, it increases your chances of being tossed in the garbage.
Clean the Retainer Regularly
The retainer is like an extension to our teeth. Therefore, you have to continue with your regular oral health care routine. You have to clean the retainer since it can lead to tartar thoroughly or calcium buildup, increasing your chances of an infection or damage. Also, clean your case since it can spread germs to you through the retainer.
Have a Spare Retainer with You
Accidents are inevitable, and there are chances that something can happen to your retainer. You can lose or damage your retainer, and getting a replacement might take a while. Since you should wear the retainer most of the time, it could be bad for you when you have to wait for new orthodontics while your teeth shift. But that could not be the case when you have a spare retainer. The additional backup retainer ensures that there is no time your teeth are given a chance to shift. You will not have to go a day without retainers, ensuring your treatment goes on as planned.
Retainers are an excellent choice to help you avoid metal braces when looking forward to a straighter, beautiful smile. Learn more about retainers by speaking with the specialists at Pendleton Orthodontics. You can call or book an online consultation appointment for more information.
