Removable Retainers – Huntington, NY
Preserving Aligned Smiles
Once you're done with braces or aligners, it's easy to think that you're "home free." You surely don't need more orthodontics now that your smile is straight. Even so, you’d be wrong to make this assumption; you should consider removable retainers in Huntington at this point. These special oral appliances will preserve your treatment results, ensuring your grin stays fully aligned. For more details on how they work, please keep reading or book your consultation!
What’s a Removable Retainer?
Both braces and clear aligners can certainly straighten smiles. Still, you’ll need help keeping your grin aligned once they come off; that’s where removable retainers come in.
A removable (or Hawley) retainer is a device you wear over your teeth. When worn consistently, it stops each well-aligned tooth from reverting to its earlier, misaligned position. (The device does so by applying pressure that keeps teeth in place.) Removable retainers can thus preserve straight smiles for a lifetime, making one’s previous time with braces or aligners worthwhile. All a patient must do is remember to wear it on a daily basis.
Notably, each removable retainer is customized for its patient. The device is also normally made of clear plastic, acrylic, and wires.
How is a Removable Retainer Made?
It doesn’t take long to make a removable retainer, assuming your current smile is straight. The process only involves a week or so of your time.
Indeed, dentists just follow a few crucial steps to create your retainer. The first (and foremost) one is that they take a dental impression of your teeth. (We rely on a digital, putty-free system for this work.) Next, we’ll send the impression to a lab that uses the images to create the actual retainer. Workers will then mold plastic around plaster, remove the molded plastic, and attach wires that fit around it securely. At the end of such efforts, a complete, customized, and removable retainer will be born!
When the removable retainer is ready, we’ll call you back to our office. We can then gauge the device’s fit and make necessary last-minute adjustments.
Caring for Your Removable Retainer
While they don’t decay or get infected, removable retainers still require consistent care. You should thus look after them with the following guidelines:
- Remove Before Eating: As you’d expect, removable retainers aren’t made to be used while eating. Please take them out before you have snacks or meals.
- Avoid Chewing Gum: Most types of chewing gum stick to a retainer, putting the device at risk. You should thus avoid it as best you can.
- Use a Case: Anytime you aren’t using your retainer, store it in its case. It’ll then be safe from harm and easy to find.
- Clean Your Device Daily: At least once a day, clean your retainer with antibacterial soap and water.
- Look After Your Smile: Please brush and floss thoroughly before inserting your retainer.