I’ve lost my retainer. Help!
At Total Orthodontics, we regularly encounter patients who have lost or broken their retainer. Knowing what to do if this happens to you is an important part of your teeth straightening journey, and we’re on hand to help with any questions or issues you encounter from start to finish.
Retainers help to maintain the results you want from your teeth straightening treatment, so it’s important to wear them for as long as your orthodontist advises.
All braces and aligners - from traditional metal braces to discreet lingual braces and clear Invisalign aligners - are ‘active’ appliances. This means they actively apply consistent force to the teeth to cause them to move into the desired position. Retainers are ‘passive’, and do not exert any force of their own. However, they do perform a vital function: they stop your teeth from gradually shifting back into their original positions.
You want your confident new smile to last as long as possible. As such, wearing your retainer is crucial for achieving a smile to be proud of.
Because retainers are removable, they’re unfortunately sometimes lost. It’s something that happens to the best of us, whether left behind at a restaurant after removing your retainer to eat, fallen from your bag or pocket, or seemingly disappeared into thin air.
Let’s take a look at what to do if you break or lose your retainer and learn a little more about why retainers are important for teeth straightening.
I’ve lost my retainer. What should I do?
Losing or breaking your retainer is a common occurrence, and one which our orthodontists are more than accustomed to dealing with. If you’ve lost your retainer or clear aligners, the first thing to do is to get in touch with your orthodontist to make arrangements for a replacement.
If you’ve lost or broken your retainer and still have your clear aligners (if they were your teeth straightening method), you can wear your aligners while you wait for a new retainer to be made.
What will happen if I don’t wear my retainer?
Your retainer is designed to stop your teeth from shifting back into their old position. That’s why your dentist or orthodontist will recommend wearing your retainer as often as possible to achieve the best results.
If you’ve lost or accidentally damaged your retainer, and haven’t arranged to quickly get a replacement made, your teeth may start to move and return to their former position. In some cases, the amount of movement is so significant you could require a whole new treatment - which would be a huge waste of time and effort!
You might be interested in fixed retainers, which consist of a thin metal wire bonded to the reverse side of your teeth. As a permanent solution to maintain your new smile, there’s no risk of them getting lost. Ask your orthodontist if you’re interested to know more.
What if I forgot to wear my retainer for a night?
There are plenty of reasons why you might forget to pop in your retainers one night, and it’s not a reason to panic. If you forget to wear your retainers for a night, it’s not going to cause any lasting damage.
The rate at which your teeth shift and move is very slow - it’s something which takes place over a period of days and weeks, and one night without the passive force your retainer provides isn’t likely to make any difference. However, repeatedly failing to wear your retainer can lead to more significant movement. Your malocclusions or misaligned teeth can eventually reappear, and further treatment may become necessary to restore your straighter smile.
How long can I go without wearing my retainer?
Ideally, you should be closely following the advice and instructions given by your orthodontist when it comes to when you should be wearing your retainer, and how long for. They’re meticulously designed to do the job of keeping your straighter smile in place, so failing to wear your retainer is never going to bring any benefits to your teeth.
We’d strongly advise against not wearing your retainer for even one day, let alone a few days or a week. Not only will your teeth begin moving after a few days, your retainer will stop fitting and trying to force it back over your realigned teeth is going to cause real discomfort and possibly some damage, too.
Think your orthodontist won’t notice if you haven’t been wearing your retainer? Think again! Our specialist orthodontists will be able to see straight away whether you’ve been following their instructions or not.
If your teeth have started to shift back to where they were, or if gaps have started to appear, your orthodontist may have to recommend going back to the drawing board and starting treatment again.
What if I’ve lost only the top or bottom half of my retainers?
If you’ve damaged or lost your upper retainer or aligner, there’s no reason to stop wearing the lower half while you wait for a replacement. Of course, this doesn’t make getting your new retainer any less of a priority - you’ll still need to order one from your orthodontist to ensure your teeth straightening treatment continues as planned.
As mentioned, those who have been using Invisalign aligners for their teeth straightening can use their aligner as a temporary replacement for a retainer. This will stop your teeth from shifting back to their original position. We’d strongly advise against using anything else as a replacement retainer in the meantime - anything but a device custom made for your teeth and your teeth only could cause lasting damage.
How should I look after my retainer when it’s not in use?
When you’re not using your retainer, you should ideally keep them in a special solution to maintain their integrity and ensure they’re kept clean and sanitised. You can use denture cleaning solutions (which will be available from your dental practice as well as your high street pharmacy and most supermarkets) or just tap water - both will do the trick.
The main reason for this isn’t just so you’re less likely to lose them, but it will also stop them from losing their shape and warping over time. This happens as a result of them drying out over and over again, and it’s one of the most common reasons why retainers stop fitting comfortably over time. If you have any questions about taking care of your retainer, you can ask a member of our friendly team, who will be more than happy to help.
Total Orthodontics for all your teeth straightening needs
Whether you need advice and guidance on retainers, clear aligners or anything to do with teeth straightening, the team at Total Orthodontics is ready and waiting to provide you with the information you require.
From metal and ceramic braces to discreet aligners and more specialised orthodontic work, we’re here to help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted. Get in touch today to book your initial consultation.
Our team would love to hear from you and is ready to help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted. Get in touch today and find out what Total Orthodontics can do for you.
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Total Orthodontics and Bupa Dental Care are trading names of Oasis Dental Care Limited. Registered in England Wales No: 00478127. Registered office: Bupa Dental Care, Vantage Office Park, Old Gloucester Road, Hambrook, Bristol, United Kingdom BS16 1GW.
