New retainers or braces

You’ve had braces but now your teeth have moved, do you need new retainers or braces? Moving teeth is like moving a fence post through the ground. As soon as you let go your teeth want to go back to where they came from. Especially really twisted and wonky ones! Which is why all our treatment fees include retainers. We’ll provide you with removable and/or fixed retainers and give you advice, aftercare and retainer reviews for 2 years after your brace treatment to make sure your teeth stay put. Unfortunately, not everyone has been so lucky.

Retainers weren’t always so much of a priority. Many people had treatment in the past and were told “every night for a year” or a year or two – or not even at all. Removable retainers are also incredibly easy to lose, ending up in the bin – or eaten by the dog!

Retainers should be worn for as long as you want to keep your smile straight. Removable retainers can last for a long time if they’re well kept. If they do break it’s important to get them repaired or replaced as soon as possible. Your teeth can spring back really quickly, especially when you don’t want them to.

Can I just have new retainers?

Sometimes you can catch orthodontic relapse early, and you’ll only need new retainers. The new retainer can be made from your finished result model and can act as a clear aligner to gently realign your relapsed teeth. You’ll find that your retainer feels quite tight to begin with. If it’s more painful than tight, we won’t force it and it might be necessary to retreat with orthodontics – if you want to restraighten your teeth. You could, of course, accept it and have a retainer made to the relapsed position to stop them moving any further.

If I need braces again?

If it’s not possible to fix your relapse with a new retainer you’ll be pleased to hear that we can usually treat relapse quickly!  Invisalign is a great option that’s hard to notice and gives you the freedom to live the brace-free lifestyle you’re used to.

When your treatment is finished we’ll give you new retainers. We also give you the option of purchasing a half-price second set. We include removable retainers as standard and the option of a fixed retainer too.