Dr. Estes and her team are committed to ensuring each patient and their families receive excellent care using state-of-the-art treatment options.
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Skip to contentYou’ve been waiting for that day when your orthodontist finally takes off your braces; still, there’s a little more you need to do before you can cross the finish line.
We carefully explain to our patients what happens near the end of your orthodontic treatment. Both the dental health specialist and patient work hard to achieve the desired results using traditional metal braces, ceramic braces, or clear aligners.
But near the end, your Albany orthodontist will remind you that you must wear a retainer for some time. Otherwise, all that hard work will go to waste! Failing to wear your retainer as instructed will lead to relapse. Your teeth and jaws will slide back to their previous malaligned position, and all that time and effort will be lost.
You can expect your retainers to last anywhere between 1 and 5 years. Their durability will depend on how much you clench or grind your teeth at night and if you take good care of them.
If you lost or had an accident that rendered your retainers useless, get in touch with us to find a new set of retainers to continue fixing your teeth and jaws to their new position.
Consistency is the key to maintaining the smile you’ve worked so hard for throughout your orthodontic treatment. That means cleaning and wearing your retainer exactly as recommended.
Most of the time, patients need to get in touch with their orthodontist to get a new set of retainers instead of just going to the office for a revision.
Be careful not to lose or ruin these appliances.
Your clear retainers also act as a nightguard to protect your teeth. Remember, it is much easier and less expensive to replace a retainer than replace worn-down or broken teeth.
Patients coming from our neighboring cities like El Cerrito, Richmond, and Berkeley can come and get their retainers in Albany with our team here in Estes Orthodontics.
At your new retainer appointment, we’ll need to take new molds of your teeth so that we can ensure a proper fit for your retainer. Don’t worry; the process is not as annoying as it used to be.
Vivera retainers are custom-made using the same state-of-the-art technology as Invisalign clear aligners. We take a digital impression of your teeth instead of a traditional cast model.
Vivera retainers come in sets of 4, so the upfront cost is a little higher, but the value is tremendous. They are more durable than other clear retainers and very comfortable. Dr. Estes and her family use these retainers.
Dr. Estes and her team are committed to ensuring each patient and their families receive excellent care using state-of-the-art treatment options.