Tips to Help Clean Your Fixed Retainer

Now that your regular orthodontic adjustment sessions with Dr. [doctor_name] have successfully repositioned your teeth, your braces can be removed. However, there will still be some residual tension lingering in the periodontal ligaments that anchor your teeth in their sockets. If it is not counteracted in some way, this tension can cause your teeth to relapse out of their ideal positions.

To prevent this from happening, your orthodontist, Dr. [doctor_name], will fit you for a retainer. There are a few different variations in retainers in [city], [state]. The most common is a Hawley retainer that holds your upper teeth in their positions. If your front teeth needed significant realignment, Dr. [doctor_name] might recommend installing a fixed retainer.

This is essentially a sturdy metal band that [heshe] cements behind your front teeth to securely hold them in position. Since it cannot be removed, the fixed retainer might make it challenging to brush and floss those teeth.

Interdental brushes with their small, narrow heads can help remove plaque and residual food particles from hard-to-reach places. Then a floss threader that has been loaded with waxed dental floss can help position the strand beneath the fixed retainer to help you floss between those teeth and clean around the gumline.

You could also try using an oral irrigator or dental water jet to clear away stuck food particles in the contours of teeth. Just keep in mind that these devices cannot match the effectiveness of flossing for removing plaque and food particles from between teeth and along the gumline.

Once you are done brushing and flossing, you might also want to give your front teeth a vigorous rinse with antiseptic mouthwash. This will help kill bacteria and wash away loose food particles.

If you have questions or concerns about how to clean your fixed retainer, you can always call [practice_name] at [phone] to seek further advice.