Tips on How to Take Care of Invisible Retainers

The process of realigning your jaw and repositioning your teeth is not an easy one. Most orthodontic treatments last for up to 6 months or more, depending on the initial misalignment problem. Every step of the treatment introduces remarkable results for your smile.

Going through such a long process with a conspicuous treatment option like traditional braces, therefore, can be off-putting. Fortunately, there are solutions for patients who seek anonymity and conspicuity, I clouding invisible retainers.

What Are Invisible Retainers?

They are types of teeth aligners that are manufactured to hold teeth in place. Ideally, after a Scottsdale dentist has treated you with braces, you need retainers to help hold your teeth in place. The reason is that, since teeth were not naturally in the right position, they can easily shift back a couple of weeks after your treatment. Retainers are used to avoid such happenings.

These discreet appliances are very likable to patients who have benefited from Invisalign® in Scottsdale. After going through an orthodontic treatment discreetly, you would not want to have your teeth held in place with a conspicuous oral appliance. This is the role that invisible retainers serve.

How Do Invisible Retainers Work?

Clear retainers work similarly to Invisalign teeth aligners. The only difference is that the primary role of retainers is to hold teeth in place. Ideally, you need to have your invisible retainers created in a well-equipped laboratory in Dentistry in Scottsdale AZ. The aligner should be well-fitting, providing a snug, which increases comfort as you wear the retainers.

As is the case with other teeth aligners, retainers can be fixed or removable. In most cases, the clear retainers are removable, allowing you to care for them differently from how you would the fixed teeth aligners. Besides, how well you take care of your retainers will influence how long they service you without damage or being prone to causing infection in your mouth.

Tips For Caring For Your Clear Retainers

One thing you will learn from Mercado Dental Care is, clear retainers should be handled like any other removable teeth aligners like is the case with Invisalign. The reason is that they require high maintenance regularly, to help maintain their appearance. Some tips you can bank on include:

1. Brush your teeth twice a day – before you care for your retainers, care for your teeth. When your teeth are clean, the retainers will not pick up any food residues or bacteria from your mouth.
2. Clean your retainer every time you brush your teeth – this is a good habit to pick up, as it ensures that both your mouth and oral appliance are clean at all times. For this, be sure to use toothpaste while you clean the retainers, both inside and outside. Consider a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean the aligners, so you can avoid damaging the clear retainers.
3. Rinse with lukewarm water – any time you determine to remove the clear retainers, be intentional about rinsing it with lukewarm water before you put them back on. The role of this is to help remove any loose debris from the surfaces of the retainer. Ensure that the water is not too cold or too hot, both of which can damage the clear retainers, distorting their shape significantly.
4. Avoid exposing the retainers to mouthwash – although mouthwash is a good rinse for your teeth, it is not the case for your transparent retainers. Since most types of mouthwash are colored, clear retainers can pick up the color and absorb them in the material. This may leave you with a tinted retainer.
5. Remove your aligners when eating – invisible aligners do not do well with foods. Whether hard foods or drinks, the material used to make the clear retainers stains easily. This is especially the case if you are a lover of heavily pigmented foods like coffee, sodas, wines, and teas. Therefore, when eating or drinking such foods, ensure you remove your retainers, so that they do not pick up the pigments of the foods and be stained.

Summary

The bottom like for caring for your teeth aligners should be to wear them appropriately. The use of removable clear retainers is only evident when you wear them as stipulates by your orthodontist. Therefore, determine a system to remind you to wear clear retainers, especially during busy days.