Retention · San Luis Obispo & Arroyo Grande
Protecting your smile investment.
Your first retainers and the check-up after them are already in your treatment fee. What happens after that is a night-time habit, and we’ll be here for it.
San Luis Obispo 805.544.3223 · Arroyo Grande 805.489.4625
Why it matters
Teeth move for the rest of your life.
That isn’t a failure of treatment and it isn’t something you did wrong. Teeth drift with age whether or not you ever had braces, the difference is that after treatment you’ve got something worth holding onto.
A retainer at night is the whole strategy. It costs you about a minute a day.
What’s included
Already in your fee.
Your first retainers, after the braces come off
Included.
The retainer check that follows
Included.
Adjustments and repairs during treatment
Most emergencies are included in the treatment fee. Comfort care →
Replacements later on
Not included, but replaceable, and we keep the scan.
Fixed, removable, or both.
Removable
Clear, worn at night. Easiest to keep clean; easiest to leave in a napkin at a restaurant.
Fixed
A thin wire bonded behind the front teeth. Nothing to remember, and it needs flossing around.
Both
Common on the lower front teeth, where drift shows first.
Which one suits you is a conversation at debond, not a rule.
The long horizon
We are here for you.
“We’re gonna be here for the long haul, and we’re gonna see you as you get older, as you graduate, as you get married, as you get your jobs, as you have your own families.”
— Dr. GarrettHe’s started seeing the children of patients he treated as children. That’s the practical version of retention: somebody local who has your records and will still have them in ten years.
If something’s gone wrong with your retainer.
It broke, or you lost it.
Life happens. If you lose or break your retainer, call the office immediately. Teeth can start moving within days, and a replacement made this week is cheaper than treatment next year.
San Luis Obispo 805.544.3223
Arroyo Grande 805.489.4625
It doesn’t fit any more.
Don’t force it. That usually means the teeth have already shifted, and forcing a retainer on can hurt. Bring it in and we’ll look.
Retention FAQs.
How long do I have to wear it?
Nights, indefinitely, if you want the result to hold. Most people settle into it.
What if I stop?
Teeth drift back, at different speeds for different people. It’s the single most common reason adults come back to us.
Can I get a spare?
Yes. Ask at your retainer check, having a second set is cheaper than an emergency replacement.
How do I clean it?
Cool water and a soft brush. Not hot water, which warps it, and not the dishwasher.
My child keeps losing theirs.
Everybody’s child keeps losing theirs. Call us before a month goes by.
