Retainers - Chamberlain Family Orthodontics

Maintain Your Alignment

For a Lifetime of Beautiful Smiles

The retention phase of orthodontic treatment is just as important as active treatment. Because you’ll wear your retainers full-time for the first year and then at “nighttime for lifetime”, getting the right type of retainer is essential for maintaining your straight smile – and Dr. Chamberlain is here to help.

The Do’s & Don’t’s of Retainer Wear

Taking care of your retainers comes with a learning curve, but with Chamberlain Family Orthodontics on your side, you’ll be an expert in no time.

Vivera Clear Retainers

Designed by Invisalign, Vivera clear retainers are custom-made to maintain your smile after treatment. As Dr. Chamberlain’s preferred retainer option, you can’t go wrong with a Vivera clear retainer. Even she wears her Vivera retainers every night, as do many of our team members!

Discreet

One of the main reasons patients fail to wear their retainers as often as prescribed after appliance removal is because of the way they look. Unlike other retainers, Vivera clear retainers are practically invisible, making patients more likely to wear them full-time.

Contoured

Vivera clear retainers are designed from 3D digital scans of your teeth, providing a full coverage option that helps ensure that every tooth remains in the same position as the day you finished treatment. They also cover the biting surface, which helps prevent wear and tear due to clenching or grinding.

Low Maintenance

Without the need for regular wire adjustments that other retainers require, you can expect fewer retention appointments, making Vivera clear retainers our lowest maintenance retainer option available.

Hawley Retainers

As one of our more traditional retention options, a Hawley retainer is made of a combination of hard plastic and a metal bar that runs across the outer surface of the teeth. Molded to fit your unique smile, these commonly used retainers are designed to hold your teeth in place after treatment.

Reliable

For years, orthodontists have used this orthodontic tool to maintain patient smiles, making it a popular retainer option. Hawley retainers are more durable overall, giving you long-lasting value – however, they are more expensive to maintain and replace when they do break.

Adjustable

Hawley retainers require periodic in-office visits to evaluate and adjust the front wire and clasps. While a degree of loosening is normal, it’s important to recognize that even a minor tweak caused by improper insertion or removal or unsafe storage practices can cause undesirable tooth movement.

Fixed Retainers

Many patients are curious about the idea of having a fixed retainer glued to the inside of their teeth after treatment is completed – however, there are several factors to consider. For starters, these retainers only support the bottom front teeth, leaving the rest of the teeth vulnerable to movement. Fixed retainers also make it significantly harder to maintain oral hygiene, and they require special attention when brushing and flossing.

While they do last for many years, they are the most time-consuming and expensive to replace when they eventually break or detach.

Phase I Retainers

After Phase I appliance removal, younger patients enter a new phase called growth & observation. During this time, they’ll wear retainers designed especially to fit smaller mouths and allow for the eruption of permanent teeth in more optimal positions. Phase I graduates should wear removable retainers full-time for 6 months, followed by nighttime wear until their permanent teeth have fully erupted or until Dr. Chamberlain instructs otherwise.

Phase I Twin Block Retainers

Following Phase I treatment for younger patients, your child may require Twin Block retainers to maintain the results achieved in Phase I until they are ready to begin Phase II. This two-piece removable appliance uses acrylic blocks to position the lower jaw forward to help promote lower jaw growth and “overbite” correction in between phases.

Phase I Hawley Retainers

Made of an adjustable wire and acrylic base, Phase I Hawley retainers are created to accommodate both baby teeth and emerging permanent teeth. This type of retainer preserves the progress made in early treatment while also maintaining space to guide erupting canines and premolars into their correct positions.

Lower Lingual Holding Arches

Lower lingual holding arches consist of a metal wire that runs along the inside of the teeth and connects to the lower molars on each side. This design prevents the permanent front teeth from shifting while preserving future eruption space for the permanent canines and premolars.

Ask About Our Retainer Back-Up Plan

Life Happens, But Don’t Let Shift Happen

Taking good care of retainers can be tricky, especially for children and teens. From being wrapped in a napkin and thrown away to becoming a pet’s favorite new chew toy, we’ve seen it all. Even when you take good care of your retainers, they will need to be replaced occasionally, just like a toothbrush. Opting into our Retainer Back-Up Plan makes these inevitable future events both cheaper and easier to handle.

Every treatment plan includes one set of Vivera clear retainers, but with Dr. Chamberlain’s Retainer Back-Up Plan, you can get additional retainers at a discount of 50% for one additional set or 70% for three additional sets. This plan also extends your formal retention period from 24 to 36 months, which means you’ll get one extra year of retainer checks absolutely free.

Ask our team about the retainer back-up plan before your appliance or attachment removal appointment to take advantage of the benefits!

Retention Phase FAQs

What is the formal retention period?

How long do I have to wear my retainers?

How do I clean my retainers?

Just like brushing your teeth, cleaning your retainers should be a regular part of your oral hygiene routine. You should brush your retainers with lukewarm water and mild dish soap to remove plaque and other debris. Avoid using toothpaste to clean your retainers as it could scratch them, which creates microscopic grooves where bacteria can grow. We also caution against using other abrasive oral hygiene products like mouthwash and denture cleaner, as these products can also damage retainers and reduce their lifespan.

How long will my retainers last?

You will need to replace your retainers periodically, usually every 2 to 4 years – and if you imagine how gross it would be to keep a toothbrush for longer than that, you’ll understand why! The most affordable way to purchase replacement retainers is to take advantage of our Retainer Back-Up Plan, which includes either 1 or 3 extra backup retainers that can be purchased at a significantly discounted rate before the appliance removal appointment.

How quickly do I need to replace a lost or broken retainer?

What happens if I get dental work done and my retainers don't fit?

Your retainers should always fit your teeth like a glove – if not, they aren’t maintaining your straight teeth to the best of their ability. If your retainer no longer fits the contours of your smile, you’ll need to visit our office to purchase a replacement. Fortunately, we offer retainer replacement by the arch, meaning you can purchase upper and lower replacements separately depending on your needs.

Do I need to be a past patient to purchase new retainers?

Will my teeth stay straight forever?

Completed orthodontic treatment does not guarantee perfectly straight teeth for life. In fact, adaptive changes of the teeth, bite and gum support occur as a natural part of the aging process. Therefore, in addition to consistent retainer wear, periodic retainer checks are recommended even after the formal retention period has concluded. Although there may be additional charges for these retention visits, many of our patients continue to see us on an annual basis to maintain their radiant smiles.