What To Do If You Lose Your Retainer

If you had braces and now have a retainer to help maintain the alignment of your teeth, losing your retainer can cause you a lot of trouble. For people who just got their braces off, retainers are incredibly important to maintain the months (or years) of work it took to achieve straight teeth. Having a good system to keep track of your retainers is very important.  And, taking action quickly if they are lost or broken is essential!

Kraus Orthodontics is focused on giving you a beautiful and confident smile. Our high quality orthodontic services are available for juniors, teens, and adults. No matter your age, you can have the smile that you’ve always wanted. With that said, your orthodontic care doesn’t end with braces. Retainers play an important role in maintaining that smile. Here are some tips on how to keep track of your retainers and what to do if you lose or break them.

Retainers Prevent Shifting Teeth

If you just got your braces off, you are in the most critical time for wearing your retainers regularly. Your retainers are designed to keep your teeth in place while the support structures strengthen and stabilize. Without retainers, your teeth can slowly shift out of position and eventually compromise the entire time spent to straighten your smile.

Tips To Keep Track Of Your Retainer

While losing your retainers can happen in the blink of an eye, we’ve provided some easy ways to lower the risks and give you an easier time to keep track of them. Check out the tips below:

  • Keep Them Stored In Their Case: The case makes your retainers much easier to track. A case will make them more distinguishable and ensure that you can store your retainers in a safe place when you aren’t wearing them.
  • Remember Them After Lunch: Oftentimes, people remove their retainers during lunch and place them on a napkin. This is an easy way to accidentally throw your retainers away. If you keep your case around, you can easily put your retainers in your case and make sure they’re placed in your bag or pocket.
  • Keep Away from Pets: Pets have been known to chew on retainers and ruin them. They can get lost or damaged because of pets. Make sure to keep your retainers out of their reach.
  • Consider a Spare Set: While a spare set is not always necessary, there is the chance that you’ll need one. A spare set will make sure that you still have a retainer while you search for your lost one.

What To Do If Your Retainer Is Lost

If you have lost your retainer, the best option is to schedule an appointment to get a replacement as soon as possible. You don’t have to panic – your teeth may shift, but the process is slow. The shifting that occurs in a short time shouldn’t be significant enough to require braces again. As long as you arrange for a replacement retainer quickly, your teeth shouldn’t experience too much shifting.

Achieve A Beautiful Smile With Kraus Orthodontics

If you are looking for the smile of your dreams, Kraus Orthodontics is here to help you achieve your goals. We focus on giving our patients high quality services and education to maintain a beautiful smile. If you’d like to schedule a visit, you can contact us here or give us a call at 469.619.9959!