Lost your retainers? Here’s what to do next

Losing your retainers can be a stressful experience, but it’s important to stay calm and take immediate action. Retainers are crucial for keeping your teeth straight after orthodontic treatment. Without them, your teeth may begin to shift back to their original positions, potentially undoing months or even years of progress.

This blog post will guide you through the steps you should take if you find yourself in this situation.

The importance of retainers

Retainers are like insurance for your smile, ensuring that all the effort and investment in orthodontic treatment are protected. After completing your treatment with fixed braces or clear aligners, wearing retainers indefinitely is essential to maintain your results.

Without retainers, there’s a significant risk that your teeth could start to shift. This risk is highest immediately after your braces are removed, but there’s always a chance that your teeth could move without the support of retainers.

To provide maximum protection against orthodontic relapse, we offer both fixed and removable retainers for every patient.

What to do immediately

Stay calm

It’s natural to feel anxious when you lose something as important as your retainers, but try not to panic.

Retrace your steps

Check all the possible locations where you might have left or misplaced your retainers.

Contact your orthodontist

If you can’t locate your retainers within a day or two, it’s time to give us a call. The sooner you contact us, the better the chances of preventing any unwanted tooth movement.

Replacing your lost retainers

Our experienced team is ready to offer immediate advice over the phone. In most cases, we’ll arrange an appointment to take scans for new retainers to ensure your replacement set fits perfectly. If you’ve recently finished your treatment, we may be able to use your previous scans to order a new set.

We aim to accommodate emergencies as quickly as possible, and we reserve slots specifically for these cases. Thankfully, most of our patients have fixed retainers to prevent the front teeth from shifting while waiting for their new retainers.

Once we’ve taken your scans, our lab will create your retainers, and you’ll return to the practice when they’re ready so that we can ensure they fit comfortably.

Managing tooth movement

Your new retainers will typically arrive within a week. Thanks to your fixed retainers, it’s unlikely you’ll experience any significant relapse during this time. If your teeth do shift slightly, your new retainers will gently guide them back into position (they may feel snug for the first few days).

If you lost your removable retainers weeks or months ago and have noticed your teeth moving, we can examine your smile and discuss your options. There are several ways to quickly and discreetly correct minor misalignments using fixed or removable braces.

Peace of mind for the future

To prevent losing your retainers again in the future, we recommend always storing them in a protective case (the brighter, the better!). Never wrap your retainers in a tissue or leave them where a curious pet could reach them.

For extra peace of mind, consider having a spare set of removable retainers so that there’s always a set safely at home.

And if you’re not already a member, why not join our Retainer Club for £10 a month? Enjoy 50% off the cost of replacement retainers, as well as other perks like an annual retainer check and free repairs to your fixed retainer.