Invisalign Retainers

Why Teeth Move Back

Teeth are held in the jaw by a cushion of fibres, the periodontal ligament, and by the gum fibres around the neck of each tooth. When a tooth is moved, those fibres are stretched and take months to settle into their new positions. Until they do, they pull the tooth back towards where it came from. The gum fibres are the slowest to adapt, which is why rotated teeth are the most likely to relapse.

On top of that, teeth continue to shift naturally throughout life, whether or not you've had treatment. Lower front teeth in particular tend to crowd with age. Without retainers, some of the movement you've paid for can be lost. Relapse after braces as a teenager is one of the things Invisalign treats, usually with the simplest package, and retainers are what stop it happening a second time.

What Are Vivera Retainers?

Vivera retainers are made by Align Technology, the makers of Invisalign, from a digital scan of your finished smile. They're clear, strong and made to fit precisely, so they hold every tooth exactly where treatment left it. They look much like your aligners, but they're more durable, because they're built for years of wear rather than two weeks.

They're removable, so you take them out to eat and brush as normal, and they're included in every Invisalign package at St Vincent Smile, and so is a fixed retainer: a thin wire bonded behind the front teeth. The wire can't be forgotten, though it needs careful cleaning around and still needs checking, and the removable Vivera retainers back it up at night.

How Long Do I Wear Retainers?

Usually full-time for a short period after treatment, taking them out only to eat and brush, then at night for the long term. We'll tell you your own schedule when your last aligner comes out, because it depends on how far your teeth moved and which ones.

How long is the long term? For as long as you want your teeth to stay straight. Because teeth keep shifting throughout life, the safest advice is to keep wearing retainers at night indefinitely. After the first year or so, a few missed nights won't undo your result, but weeks without them can. Think of retainers as part of keeping your result, like brushing keeps your teeth healthy. If your retainer feels tight when you put it in, that's a sign your teeth have started to drift and the retainer is doing its job. Wear it more, not less.

Looking After Retainers

• Rinse them every time they come out, and clean them with cool water and a soft brush
• Never use hot water, which can warp them, and avoid toothpaste, which scratches the surface and makes it cloudy
• Keep them in their case whenever they're not in your mouth, not in a pocket or wrapped in a tissue, which is how most retainers get lost or thrown away
• Keep them away from pets, who find them irresistible
• Put them in only after brushing, so plaque isn't sealed against your teeth overnight
• Check them for cracks or splits now and then
• Bring them to your dental examinations so we can check the fit

Looked after this way, retainers last a long time. Eventually they wear, discolour or crack and need replacing, and we'll tell you when that's getting close.

What If I Lose or Break My Retainer?

Contact us straight away, because teeth can start moving within days without a retainer. A replacement set of Vivera retainers is £530, or Essix retainers, a similar clear type, are from £214 for one arch.² Both are made from an iTero Lumina scan of your teeth, with no putty impressions.

If you've stopped wearing your retainer for a while and it no longer fits, don't force it. A retainer that seats with gentle pressure can usually be worn more to bring the teeth back. One that won't seat at all means the teeth have moved further, and the answer is usually a short course of aligners rather than a new retainer. Invisalign Lite, from £3,750, covers exactly this kind of relapse, and it comes with new Vivera retainers at the end.

What Else Is Included?

• Your iTero Lumina scan, simulation and X-rays
• All the aligners for your package
• Refinements, if you need extra aligners to fine-tune the result
• Vivera retainers at the end
• Teeth whitening
• A hygiene visit

Nothing on that list is an optional extra. The Invisalign cost guide sets out the four packages, from £3,750 for Lite to £5,250 for Comprehensive Plus, and what each one is for. Whitening is included because many people want a brighter shade once their teeth are straight, and it's best planned at the end of treatment, before any bonding or veneers, so everything matches.

Retainers and the Rest of Your Mouth

Retainers hold teeth in position, but they don't look after them. Keep up your dental examinations and hygiene visits, and clean between your teeth every day, because straight teeth are easier to keep clean but not immune to decay or gum disease. If you grind your teeth at night, tell us. A thin retainer isn't designed to take that load, and we can talk through options such as a night guard. And if your retainer ever starts to feel loose or tight, or your bite feels different, book a visit rather than waiting for your next dental examination. Small drifts are easy to correct early and much harder to correct later.

Questions

This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.