Once you’ve completed your treatment with braces, your orthodontist will fit you for a retainer. A retainer is designed to prevent your teeth from shifting back into their former spaces, and promotes them to stay even and aligned. For the first year or so, you will have to wear your retainer most of the day, and later, you’ll only sleep in it. One thing’s for certain, you won’t want to lose it.

Because you will take out your retainer from time to time, the possibility exists that you’ll misplace it.

Here is some important advice from your orthodontist about protecting your retainer:

  • Never, ever wrap up your retainer in a paper towel or a napkin. This makes it look like a piece of trash that needs to be thrown away. Even if you put it safely into your lunchbox in the napkin, it’s too easy to grab it up and throw it away later without thinking.
  • When your retainer isn’t in your mouth, it should be in its case. Choosing a brightly colored case means that it will be unlikely to be overlooked. A bright red or neon green case might seem garish and conspicuous, but that same case isn’t going to be forgotten when you get up from the table, and if it happens to make it to the trashcan, you’re going to find it a lot faster if it’s bright and easy-to-see.
  • Wear your retainer as recommended by your orthodontist. If you are wearing it in your mouth, you know exactly where it is. It will never be lost or damaged if you have it on.
  • Once you’re able to wear your retainer only at night, leave it in its case in one single place each day. This spot could be your purse, your backpack, your sink, your nightstand or your locker. Developing a habit regarding your retainer can be essential in keeping track of it.

Following these important tips from your orthodontist can help you keep track of your retainer.

Sherman Oaks Orthodontist