Orthodontic Retainers: Keeping Your Smile Beautiful in Washington, D.C.

You've worked hard for your beautiful smile–now keep it that way!

Finally, your braces have been removed, and your smile is beautiful, straight, and metal-free. However, your orthodontic journey isn’t quite complete. To keep your smile looking its best, you’ll need to wear a retainer to preserve and stabilize your results.

Retainers are essential for controlling or limiting potential changes in tooth position. They are used after braces to hold teeth in their correct alignment while the surrounding gums, bone, and muscles adjust to their new positions.

Types of Retainers

Retainers are custom-made and can be removable or fixed.

Traditional removable retainers include a metal wire that surrounds the front teeth and is attached to an acrylic arch that sits in the roof of your mouth. The wires can be adjusted to complete treatment and allow minor tooth movement as needed.
Aligner-style (Essix) retainers look similar to clear aligners and offer a more aesthetic alternative to wire retainers. This clear retainer may fit over the entire arch of your teeth or only from canine to canine (clip-on retainer) and is created from a mold of your newly aligned teeth.
Fixed retainers consist of wires bonded behind the bottom and/or top teeth. While often required for at least a year after wisdom teeth removal, they can remain in place for life to maintain alignment.

Pros and Cons

Removable retainers can be taken out for eating and cleaning routines.
They can be lost easily, so always keep them in their case when removed.
Fixed retainers are ideal if you prefer not to track daily wear time.
Extra care is needed when flossing teeth with fixed retainers. Patients often use floss threaders to clean between the retainer and teeth.