A retainer holds your teeth in their new positions after braces or clear aligners come off. Without one, teeth drift back, and the drift starts within days. The Orthodontic Gallery in Riverview provides removable clear retainers, Hawley wire retainers, and permanent bonded retainers. Retainer costs depend on the type.
Retention is the least glamorous part of orthodontics, and it decides whether the previous two years were worth it. Many adults who had braces as teens notice their lower front teeth shifting after they stopped wearing a retainer.
Why Teeth Move Back
Teeth are held in bone by a ligament, and that ligament has elastic fibers that remember where the tooth used to be. After orthodontic treatment, those fibers keep pulling for months, sometimes years. Bone around the moved tooth also needs time to fully rebuild.
On top of that, teeth drift throughout life whether or not you ever had braces. Lower front teeth crowd with age in people who never wore a bracket. A retainer is not just holding an orthodontic result; it is holding back a lifelong process.
The Three Types
Hawley retainers
The traditional design: an acrylic plate against the palate with a wire across the front teeth. More durable than clear retainers, adjustable if a small correction is needed, and repairable. More visible, and they take a week or two to speak comfortably with. An acrylic retainer can also double as a night guard for patients who grind.
Clear removable retainers
A thin transparent shell that fits over the whole arch, similar in appearance to an aligner. Nearly invisible, comfortable, and easy to wear at night. They wear out over a few years and need replacing, and they should never go anywhere near hot water or a dishwasher.
Permanent bonded retainers
A thin wire bonded to the back of the lower front teeth, occasionally the upper. Nothing to remember and nothing to lose, which makes them the most reliable option available. They demand more of you at the sink, because flossing around a bonded wire requires a threader or a water flosser, and they occasionally come loose and need re-bonding.
Many patients end up with a bonded lower retainer and a removable upper one. That combination gets the reliability where relapse is most likely and the flexibility everywhere else.
How Long You Wear One
Full time for the first few months after treatment, then nights only. Then nights only, indefinitely.
That last part surprises people, so we say it plainly at the consultation rather than on the day your braces come off. Current orthodontic thinking is that some level of night wear continues for life if you want to keep the result. In practice, most patients settle into a few nights a week after several years, and if things start to feel tight, that is your signal to go back to nightly.
What Retention Costs
Retainers after treatment here are part of the treatment plan, and what is included is written into your treatment agreement before you start rather than mentioned at the end. Ask us, and ask any practice you are comparing us with, because retention is one of the most common places where two quotes that looked similar turn out not to be.
Replacements are a separate matter, and they are a real recurring cost over a lifetime. We can make replacement retainers whenever you need them. Bring your case with you to appointments and keep the old retainer when you get a new one, because a slightly outdated retainer is far better than none while a replacement is made.
Looking After a Retainer
Rinse it in cool water every time it comes out. Brush it gently with a soft brush, no toothpaste, since toothpaste is abrasive enough to cloud clear plastic. Soak occasionally in a retainer cleaner rather than mouthwash.
Never use hot water, never leave it in a car in a Florida summer, and never wrap it in a napkin at a restaurant. Always store your retainer in its case when it is out of your mouth. A lost or broken retainer is a same-day call, not a wait.
Frequently Asked Questions About Orthodontic Retainers
How much do retainers cost?
It depends on the type, on whether it is included in an existing treatment plan, and on whether it is a first retainer or a replacement. Bonded and Hawley retainers sit at different points from clear ones. Rather than publishing a range that may not apply to you, we state what is included in your written treatment plan up front, and we quote replacements when you ask.
How long do I need to wear my retainer?
Full time for the first few months, then at night. Night wear continues indefinitely if you want the result to hold. Most people find that after a few years they can drop to several nights a week, and any feeling of tightness means going back to nightly.
What happens if I stop wearing my retainer?
Teeth move, usually starting with the lower front ones, and usually within weeks rather than years. Small relapse can often be corrected with a short course of aligners. Substantial relapse means full treatment again. Bring your retainer to your next visit if you have stopped, because if it still fits we can often get you back on track without retreatment.
Can you make me a new retainer if I lost mine?
Yes, including for patients who had their original treatment elsewhere. We scan and fabricate in our own lab, so turnaround is days. Call as soon as you notice it is gone, because the longer teeth are unretained the more likely the new retainer will not seat.
Are permanent retainers better than removable ones?
Better at one thing: they cannot be forgotten, which is why they are the more reliable choice for lower front teeth. They are harder to clean around and they occasionally debond without you noticing, so they need checking. Neither type is universally better, and many patients do best with one of each.
Questions About Your Retention Plan
Call 813-867-0414 or request an appointment. We see patients who had treatment elsewhere and need a replacement retainer, not only our own. We are at 10061 Beach Verbena Drive in Riverview.