We know you’re excited to show off your beautiful new smile. But the work isn’t completely done yet – maintaining your straight teeth through retention after braces or aligners is critical for long-term success.

Dr. Weiler wants to ensure your new smile stays picture-perfect. Here are our top tips for wearing your retainers and keeping your teeth in their new aligned positions after orthodontic treatment:

Get Used to Wearing Retainers
After your treatment with braces or Invisalign has finished, you’ll be fit with a retainer to wear full-time for the first 8 weeks, then nightly after that. It may feel strange at first, but be diligent about wearing your retainer as directed. Intermittent wear can allow teeth to shift.

Sign up for Retainers for Life
We want the retainer process after treatment to be as easy as possible, including replacing retainers when necessary. At Weiler Orthodontics and Invisalign we offer a Retainer for Life program which essentially acts as insurance for your retainers! Instead of paying for each individual retainer out of pocket when you need a new one, this plan offers 2 replacement sets of retainers per calendar year – what a deal! If this is something you might be interested in, make sure to ask us more about it.

Protect Your Retainer
When not wearing your removable retainer, store it in a protective case. Don’t wrap it in a napkin or place it in your pocket, where it could get damaged. Avoid extreme heat that can warp the shape. Pets, especially dogs, love to chew on your retainers so our advice is, “if it’s not in the face, it’s in the case!”

Practice Good Oral Hygiene
Brushing twice a day and flossing daily to prevent cavities or staining on your newly straightened teeth is vital. Continue to see your dentist on a regular basis as recommended for cleanings as well!

Avoid Behaviors That Shift Teeth
Don’t bite your nails or chew on pens/pencils. Stop oral habits like tongue thrusting. Avoid hard foods that could re-misalign teeth.

Wear Your Retainer As Long As Recommended
Expect to wear a retainer of some sort for as long as you’d like to keep your new smile! Nighttime for a lifetime is the best practice to maintain all the hard work you’ve put in. With diligent retainer wear and care, your beautiful post-treatment smile can stay flawless for years to come!

Please reach out to our Harrisonburg orthodontic office if you have any other questions!