Congratulations on your new smile! Don’t forget, there is one more step to follow for the best retention of your new smile: your aftercare retainer. This is a very important part of your aligner treatment, because if a retainer has not been worn long enough, your teeth will not have gotten used to their new position and will try to relapse. Here are some facts to help you get to know your aftercare retainer.
How often should I wear the retainer?
Though there is no set standard for how long to wear the retainer, our dental team recommends wearing it all the time for at least 4 months. After that, you can taper off to wearing it only at night, and then even just a couple of nights per week. If your teeth start feeling too tight after you put the retainer back on, we recommend that you go back to wearing it more often for awhile.
Do I need to wear it indefinitely?
Some people may need to wear the retainer indefinitely, at least a couple of nights per week. This is especially true of anyone with a missing tooth or any other similar spaces that the other teeth may still keep trying to fill. Other factors such as age, gender, overall health, genetics and just plain old luck. Ultimately, whether or not you will need to wear a retainer indefinitely depends on your teeth as a whole, as well as what corrections took place with your Truly Invisible Aligners.
How often should I replace the retainer?
The aftercare retainer is meant to last 3-6 months, although we recommend replacing the retainer at least every 3 months. We also strongly recommend having a backup, just in case it is lost or broken.
The first aftercare retainer comes free with your aligners. Extra retainers can be ordered by calling our customer service team. We also offer discounts if your order multiple sets at once.
How do I care for my retainer?
It is made from the same material as the aligners, but is a few millimeters thicker because it is made to keep the teeth in place rather than move them. You can still clean it with Daily White Fusion and some cool water, and make sure to take it out when eating or drinking. For at least four months while you are wearing the retainer all the time, you will be following much the same routine as you did while wearing the aligners.