Retention

Wearing retainers will help you maintain your results for life.

The final step in your smile journey

When you finish Phase I, Invisalign® or braces treatment, it takes time for the supporting bone and ligaments to rearrange themselves and secure your teeth in their new places. That’s why there’s one last step in the process: retention. Wearing retainers holds your teeth in position, locking in your bite and preventing any shifting.

The Different Types of Retainers

There are a number of different types of retainers, including the traditional acrylic and wire retainers called Hawley retainers, removable, clear retainers, known as Essix-style retainers, and permanent retainers that are bonded behind the teeth. At our San Diego orthodontics office, removable clear retainers are the most popular choice.

Custom Clear Retainers Made In-House

Being the high-tech orthodontics practice we are, we make custom clear retainers in-office. We use our 3D printer to create a model based on digital scans of your final smile. The model is placed in our vacuum forming machine to fabricate your appliances from medical-grade, BPA-free plastic. We’ll trim, polish and package your retainers and give you instructions for wearing them.