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Congratulations! You have reached a significant landmark in your treatment.

Adherence to Our Retention Guidelines Will Insure the Long-term Stability of Your Teeth.

• Wear your retainers full-time for three days (except meals) then nights only (8 our of 24 hours) unless or until Dr. McAnnally instructs otherwise.
• Make and keep appointments for retention check-ups at the doctor's recommended intervals.
• Remove your retainers when eating and put them in their case! Caution: Most retainers are lost at mealtimes, often in school lunch rooms or restaurants.
• Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes stains and eliminates odors. Efferdent® and other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used to aid removal of stubborn stains but are not substitutes for mechanical brushing.
• ALWAYS keep retainers in their case and out of the reach of pets when they are not in your mouth. Pets love to chew on them!
• Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud if, initially, you find it difficult to speak. Your difficulty will soon subside.
• Treat your retainers with care. They are breakable. If  you lose or break your retainers, call us immediately at (248) 282-7298. Delayed replacement may result in shifting of your teeth.
• Call us if you have any questions or concerns regarding your retainers.
• Call us if your retainers need adjusting. Do not try to adjust them yourself.
• ALWAYS bring your retainers to your appointments.
• Remove retainers when swimming.
• Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.

Retention is Your Responsibility.

There is nothing the orthodontist can do to overcome what the patient will not do.

There is a charge for replacement of lost or damaged retainers. There also may be an additional charge for realignment of teeth that unnecessarily relapse or shift due to loss, damage, or noncompliant wear of your retainers.

Added costs to treatment are avoidable. With responsible care and wear, your retainers will last for years. More importantly, your teeth will remain well-aligned.

We Rarely Recommend Lifelong Retention.

We believe that teeth, once aligned, should not be forcibly constrained beyond a reasonable retention period. During the retention phase of treatment, stability can be assessed and encouraged.

Ultimately, the teeth should be allowed to settle into physiologically stable equilibrium positions. It makes little sense to forcibly retain teeth indefinitely in intrinsically unstable positions.  

Minor movements of teeth following the retention period are to be expected. These movements are desireable. Don't Worry! The teeth will not go back to their original positions. In fact, with few exceptions the bite will improve.

Exceptions Occur When Your Relapse Potential Is Predictable and Very High.

• periodontally-compromised teeth with significant loss of gum and bone support
• a space between the two upper front teeth (midcentral diastema)
• persistent grinding of teeth that is certain to cause excessive tooth wear

A Gradual Six-Step Reduction In Retainer Wear Insures Maximum Stability.

1. Your jaw growth must be largely complete, typically  age 16 1/2 to 17.
2. Bone has had 6 to 8 weeks to firm-up around the roots of recently aligned teeth.
3. Periodontal (gum) tissues containing elastic fibers have had 12 to 24 months to reorganize around the roots of recently aligned teeth.
4. Third molars (wisdom teeth) have been evaluated for probable removal, typically age 16 1/2 to 17.

Reduce Retainer Wear Gradually And Systematically With Vigilance.

1. Wear your retainers every other night (8 out of 48 hours) for two months with vigilance. Examine your teeth following cleaning throughout the day. If undesirable shifting of teeth is observed, schedule an appointment for a retention check. If your teeth remain acceptably aligned, proceed with the step below.
2. your retainers every third night (8 out of 72 hours) for two months with vigilance as per above. If your teeth remain acceptably aligned proceed as per below.
3. Wear your retainers every fourth night (8 out of 96 hours) for two months with vigilance as per above. If your teeth remain acceptably aligned proceed as per below.
4. Wear your retainers every fifth night (8 out of 120 hours) for two months with vigilance as per above. If your teeth remain acceptably aligned proceed as per below.
5. Wear your retainers every sixth night (8 out of 144 hours) for two months with vigilance as per above. If your teeth remain acceptably aligned proceed as per below.
6. Wear your retainers once a week (8 out of 168 hour) at your discretion.
7. FINIS - Job well done! 

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