Congratulations! Your braces are off and your teeth are finally straight, giving you that brilliant perfect smile you wanted when you started your orthodontic journey.

However, just because your braces are off doesn’t mean you’re completely done with orthodontics. Often, you’ll need a fixed retainer in place to help keep your teeth right where they should be. If that happens, there are some basic things you need to be aware of in order to take care of the fixed retainer.

This is basically a sturdy metal band that is cemented in place behind your teeth to help hold your teeth in place. Most people with a fixed retainer need to have it in their mouth for about as long as they wore braces.

A fixed retainer is cemented in place and can’t be removed, which can sometimes make it a challenge to clean and care for. To help brush away plaque and food particles from hard to reach places, you might want to try interdental brushes. The narrow angled heads can help clean hard to reach places.

If you find flossing between the teeth and around the gum line is a challenging, you might want to try using a floss threader with waxed floss. The wax coating also helps the strand of floss slip into place easier.

Fixed retainers are great for helping your smile stay in great shape. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to call our team at 480-948-4200 today.