Have you finished Wearing invisible aligners and are now wearing a retainer? Are you a bit unsure of what to do while undertaking this part of your orthodontic treatment?

At Harley Street Dental Clinic, we can offer you tips on how to manage wearing a retainer (and all other areas of dental care) once you finish wearing Invisalign Harley Street, to keep your teeth and gums healthy for years to come. Great!

Here, we offer some general tips on what to do once you have finished wearing Invisalign Harley Street and have been provided with a retainer by our team.

Attend dental appointments

First things first, after you have finished wearing Invisalign Harley Street, you will need to attend regular dental appointments with our team.

This is for 3 key reasons. For one thing, our team will need to check that the retainer we provide you with is working to hold your teeth in place without causing issues. In some instances, the retainers can fail and the teeth can move out of alignment, which is why we need to see you  regularly during the first few months after you finish wearing the aligners.

Secondly, we will need to check for cavities and other signs of decay; there is little point in having your teeth straightened if they are going to succumb to decay and gum disease shortly after.

And finally, we will need to see you simply to ensure that any concerns you have surrounding the treatment are answered and that you are happy with the final result of the realignment.

Wear the retainer

When you finish any orthodontic treatment, you will be given a retainer to prevent your teeth from moving back into their former positions, without the pressure of a regular treatment aligner.

Our team will customise any retainers provided and, while it may seem an annoyance after wearing aligners, you will need to wear them as prescribed.

If you don’t, your teeth can revert back to their original positions, making the wearing of the aligner a waste of time and effort on your part.

Be smart and keep the retainers in!

Report discomfort

Wearing a retainer should not be uncomfortable.

If you experience discomfort while wearing a retainer, please contact our team. Such an issue could point towards the retainer warping out of shape, your teeth becoming misaligned or an issue with the initial fitting.

Irrespective of the cause, if it is unpleasant to wear your aligner, call our team.

Floss regularly

As obvious as it may sound in relation to dental hygiene, we will usually advise all of our patients who wear a retainer to regularly floss their teeth.

This is because flossing your teeth prevents plaque and bacteria from sticking to the retainer which, if left unchecked, can lead to a higher incidence of gum disease and decay.

If you need tips on flossing or using interdental brushes, please talk to our team.

Clean the retainer

Much like invisible aligners, you will need to keep your retainer clean in order for it to work and keep your teeth healthy. Simply rinse the retainer under a cold tap and use a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove any stuck-on food. Alternatively, why not use a denture cleaner to refresh the retainer?