FAQs - Retainers

Retainers are what you wear after orthodontic treatment has finished to reduce the chances of your teeth moving. Quite literally, they are designed to retain the teeth in their new position. There are many different types of retainer but we use two main types, removable and fixed retainers. The first is removable, and the second is stuck to the inside surface of the teeth.

No, they are designed to hold them in the same position only.

The simple answer to this is as long as you want to keep your teeth straight. Our teeth move throughout life and this was noticed by an orthodontist called Horowitz in the 1920s and he described these new movements as physiological change. New movements can occur even if you have not had braces, and so retaining the result is very important for most people.

We endeavour to fit your retainers within 15 minutes of removing your braces. Sometimes fixed retainers require time to construct, it depends upon the type of fixed retainer that you need.

Fixed retainers can be fitted either immediately or we may need to take an impression and have a lab make one which may take a week. We are proud of the fact that we can fit removable retainers in 15 minutes after the braces have been removed.