Retainers and Appliances
Retainers are carefully designed to move or to hold your teeth. It is important that it is worn according to instructions and brought to each appointment.
Oral Hygiene Overview
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Wear your appliances at all times, even while you are asleep. They may be removed while eating, swimming, or playing vigorous sports activities. In two or three days your speech will return to normal with the appliances in place. Avoid flipping your appliances with your tongue. This can cause damage to your teeth or breakage of your appliances.
Your new appliances may make your teeth sore for a day or two, especially after an adjustment. If you have a sore spot on your gums call our office at 949 661-5882 so that we can adjust the appliances.
Clean your appliances by brushing them daily with toothpaste. If you are wearing a bonded wire retainer behind your front teeth, be extra careful to clean the wire and the area around it. Flossing should be done every day.
Never wrap your appliances in a paper napkin or tissue and set them down on the table. You or someone else may throw them away. Don't put them in your pocket when playing or you may break or lose them. Whenever they are not in your mouth they should be in their plastic appliance case.
Keep your appliance away from dogs or cats as they love to chew on them. Avoid storing them near any source of heat. Do not boil your retainers to sterilize them! If needed, bring them to the office and we will be happy to disinfect them for you.
An additional charge will be incurred for lost or broken appliances.