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Retainers and Aligner Care
Wear, clean, store, and troubleshoot orthodontic aligners and retainers without damaging them.
Overview
Aligners move teeth according to a prescribed sequence; retainers help hold the result. Wear time and change intervals must follow the orthodontist's plan. Hot water, harsh chemicals, biting appliances into place, and wrapping them in tissue can distort, crack, or lose them.
Key takeaways
- ✓Wear exactly as prescribed; do not make up your own change schedule.
- ✓Remove appliances for food and hot or sugary drinks unless specifically instructed otherwise.
- ✓Brush teeth before reinsertion when possible and keep the appliance in its case.
- ✓A retainer may be long-term; stopping can allow relapse.
What you can do
- 1Rinse with cool water and clean gently with a soft brush and suitable cleanser.
- 2Use removal tools only as demonstrated; do not pull repeatedly from one fragile edge.
- 3Carry the case and previous aligner when travelling.
- 4For fixed retainers, clean beneath the wire and check every bonding point.
When to book a dentist
- !An aligner does not seat, cracks, is lost, or causes a sharp injury.
- !A fixed retainer is loose, broken, or floss no longer passes normally.
- !Teeth shift, the bite changes, or a retainer becomes tight after missed wear.
Emergency warning signs
- !If an appliance is inhaled, or causes breathing or swallowing difficulty, seek emergency care.