RETAINERS AFTER BRACES 101 | Everything You Need To Know 

To everyone afraid about “forever”: Im getting my braces off in two weeks. Instead of “forever” think of it this way. You wear the retainers as long as you want straight teeth. Its like staying fit. You choose whether to stay fit or not, you could stop working out, but you wont be as fit. Its the same thing with retainers.

Whenever I heard “forever” my heart sank😐😂

I wear my retainer every single night. I actually cannot go to bed without putting it in. Definitely a blessing and a curse.

I cried when i heard forever thanks for likes

I started screaming when I heard “FOREVER”

First it's "pay us $2500 to """fix""" your teeth" then it's "lol jk you have to wear this forever or else everything we did comes undone"

Send internet hug for everyone whose cursed with crooked teeth so we have to wear this d4mn retainer forever 😭😭

As someone who had braces I can't begin to tell you how important it is to wear the retainers. I was in a dark place when I got my braces removed and I wasn't planning long term. Now my teeth have completely reverted and I'm spiralling down that path again. Think long term because if I want to get it fixed I'll have to pay and it can be expensive. Don't let it happen to you

i literally take out my retainers for 30 minutes and my teeth move 😳😭

i’ve had braces since september of 5th grade i’m in 9th grade now. I’ve had braces for aboit 4 years and i finally get my braces off in January! and i couldn’t be happier

i have all three types of retainers, my top is clear, my bottom it a hawley or whatever, and and my top two teeth have a bonding

trust me when I say you DONT wanna lose ur retainer or forget it when ur travelling for a month across the world bc the moment u find it. IT WONT FIT!! I learned that the hard way n now I need braces again rip. So long story short, wear ur retainers children.

i've been wearing my retainers religiously for the past 10 years until this past 6 months or so. it was really relieving knowing i could cut down to a couple times a week thanks to your videos. and as someone with a bonded retainer that both me and my dentist hate, i'm glad to hear that you use them sparingly. i'm hoping to get mine taken off eventually bc it has both inflamed and recessed my gums 😵‍💫

Who’s for retainers?! 😱 what else should I do?!

Just saw the tiktok for this but like damn she has been wearing them since 5th grade

My ortho usually recommends the Hawley retainer because if your teeth happen to shift due to lack of wearing it can be adjusted to move your teeth back.

He’s like the brightest person I have ever seen. I love it.

My orthodontist told me to wear it for 3 months 24/7 then 6 months just at night-

My sister threw her retainers in the trash by accident a year ago, now her teeth are crooked at the top and she has to get braces again for 4 months. I’m planing to get mine too so I’m so happy I came across this video !😊

Question: do you have to renew your retainers like after a few years or so do you have to get new ones?

I’m watching this like I’m about to get my braces off I got them on yesterday and I’m getting them off in 2 years …

so I stopped using my retainers for like a year and totally forgot about them. tonight I found them again and decided to try them out. i felt that oddly familiar tightness once again in years and decided to never forget to wear them again from now on. then i found this video lol

A HUGE tip for anyone who has invisiline type retainer is to ALWAYS rinse with water after taking them out. They will never smell again. Your welcome

I still have my Hawley retainer from 20 years ago. Whenever it looks scummy, I drop it in a glass of white vinegar for an hour or two, then give it a little scrub with the toothbrush. Works like a charm to keep it clean.

great video, btw you have the most expressive eyebrows ever bro😭😂

watching this now a week after getting my retainers. i appreciate the information about how to clean clear retainers. my dentist just said not to use toothpaste so i wasn't sure what to use exactly to clean it. thanks bentist!

i don’t even have braces or a retainer- i just enjoy watching the bentist😃

I’m so glad I have the clear retainer and it’s great. I have associated my retainer to going to sleep since I have such a hard time sleeping at night and have to have a routine before I go to sleep (since I only have to wear my retainer at night)

Currently watching this with sore teeth as I haven’t wore my retainer in forever 😀👍🏻

Got out of the orthodontist this morning. Got my braces off and my retainer. They specifically told me NOT to use denture cleaner on any retainer as they are made for a different material and will cause retainers to break. Best to use bathroom soap and water.

Thank you so much this helps a lot I just got my braces off last week on Monday so keeping it clean is something that helps

🚨long story short: pls wear your retainers!!! 🚨 been waiting for a video on retainers!!! even tho i knew this stuff already lol. i’ve been out of braces since nov 2016. in the beginning, i wore them regularly for the first year and a half. but the last year or two, i really let myself go. teeth didn’t get crooked but definitely were some spaces and immediate regret. my clear retainers haven’t fit for a while. my hawleys still fit after a couple adjustments so i’m working on wearing them again. orajel has become my best friend bc the pain was unbearable once i put them back in. i also have a bonded retainer which i’ve broken SO many times over the years, especially in the beginning. was doing good for a hot minute until the hygienist broke it in september :) got it fixed and then i somehow broke it again in october. which is what landed me back in the orthodontist and storms (i live in nwa so i’m sure you’re familiar with him lol) is making me wear my retainers every night now 😔😔

My dad (had braces in the 80's) stopped wearing his retainer after 3 months...his teeth did shift

Not me getting my Bracez off (of 5 years) 1 year ago the other day...... I lost my retainer months ago and my teeth moved✌🏼😗, so I might have to put braces back om

THANK YOU! I was going to get a bonded retainer but after you said "After 4 moths we tell you to just wear it at night" changed my mind! Thaank you!!!

When you were talking about the bonded retainer and said you’d have to watch out with what you eat I was like “waaahh?” Never heard of that 😅😂

Hi buddy! I have found your channel story weeks ago and I AM SO THRILLED about it. I'm 25 and I am about to have braces on my teeth (hopefully) on January '21. I can tell I am very ashamed of it b your videos have save my life. Greetings from quarantined Greece. ❤

I got my braces off 18 years ago (crazy to say that), but I was told to wear my wire retainer full time for 6 months, and at night for 2 years. I also had a permanent (bonded) retainer on the bottom teeth. I wore my upper teeth wire retainer for about 4 months full time, and stopped wearing it during the day right before the school year started at my new school (since I moved), but I continued to wear them at night for 2 years. Since then, my top teeth only shifted a little bit, and that’s when I was still wearing the top teeth retainer every night. But in about 17 years, the top teeth haven’t really shifted much and still look straight. The bottom teeth had the original wired permanent retainer for 18 years and have actually shifted. I think I somehow bent the wire years ago and one of my bottom teeth shifted a little and turned a bit. Aside from that, the bottoms are good too. The top and bottom teeth that shifted are on the same side of my mouth and touch each other, so maybe one affected the other. My teeth have not shifted back to their original position as they were way worse before with an overbite and bad crowding on the bottom before braces. My permanent (bonded) retainer actually finally snapped off this year and my old ortho and I are considering getting me Invisalign to correct the tooth that shifted years ago. I’m not saying don’t wear your retainers for life, but I’m using myself as a case study to show what can happen when you wear your retainers as prescribed back in the day (the 4-6 month full time and 2 years at night). Results may vary. For reference I got the braces on when I was 14 and off when I was 15/16 (about a year and a half) I’m 34 now.

Ive been watching video on retainers non stop, just finished my Invisalign treatment about 2 weeks ago and I can't wait to wear my Vivera retainers.

Tbh watching your video about retainers after braces helped me out a lot because I need to get a new one mine broke and I haven’t worn it sense 2 years and I’d had if for 3.

When I was 6 years old I fell on a tree and this basically ruined my teeth. Do I seriously have to wear them forever? I am gonna cry.

Absolutely hated the bonded retainer, I made my orthodontist take it out after a month. It bugged me & my teeth moved! After having braces for 3 years as an older adult (45-48), I wanted to feel my teeth again, not a piece of metal and I certainly didn’t want my teeth to move. And I’ve said for years that in order to keep straight teeth after braces, that retainer needs to be worn for as long as you want straight teeth. I wear mine about 4 nights a week on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday. If I accidentally skip 2 nights in a row, I can feel it the next time I put them in. Also, Polident actually makes retainer cleaner tablets.

I got my braces removed in 2003 and promptly broke 3 bonded retainers and haven’t used a retainer since, and my teeth are still straight...18 years later, is it worth bringing up to my new dentist? 😂

Perfect timing, I legit got my retainers earlier today soooo this is 👌🏻

I had my fixed retainer put on at 18...Im now 42 and its still there. Fixed are quite common in Australia, both my kids have them, top and bottom

When I heard "FOREVER" I died a little inside

Welp looks like im wearing a retainer forever because i hate braces

Thanks so much for the video I just got my retainers like 5 months ago and my orthodontist didn’t give me near as much info on them as u did so thanks a lot

I actually needed to know this cuz I had no clue and I’m started to last stage of braces ( I think )

I had braces when i was 15, and ended up with bonded retainers on both top and bottom... 15 years later, im in braces again... my bonded retainers were still attached to my teeth, but my teeth and bite shifted. Blame it on aging, and child bearing.... but it sucks wearing braces as an adult and mama of 3... i will be opting for either the tray or the hawley retainer this time ;(

Omg omg i’ve been waiting for this moment!!!

This is such helpful content! Thank you!

i just got my braces off after 3 years today and i have to wear retainers so thanks for this video.

I lost my retainer YEARS ago and thankfully my teeth didn't shift back!

Thank you this is really helpful I get my braces of in 2 weeks

I'm getting my retainer in a couple of days! Thank you!

I don’t even need braces or have a retainer but I find him really interesting to watch. 😂

As someone who had braces for 2.5 years and got them off 15 years ago: WEAR YOUR RETAINER! I wore my upper (clear) more and for longer than what I was told (like Bentist said, we knew less then), and my teeth haven't shifted! Anecdotal evidence, I know. I also have the bond retainer on my lower teeth, and stopped noticing it eons ago. And my teeth haven't moved! Yay! Just be extra careful when brushing around the retainer. 🙂

Thissss is the video I've been waitttingggggg for 🥳

My mother had braces back in the 70s and she got a bonded retainer. That thing lasted until she was like 55. I honestly don’t know what kind of bonding they used back then but omg it lasted like 40 years

I cheered when I heard his new office was in Plano. Then I remembered I live in Flower Mound which is about an hour away. I'm so close and yet so far.

Hey Bentist! Love your content! I would LOVE to know why I wasn’t not given a retinal after I was done with my braces. I am now back in Invisalign because I never wore one!

At this time I'm gonna get wired retainers in 8 days. This really helps thank you :D!

i got my braces off today and just got my clear retainers, they fit great but when putting on the top piece, it hurts for a few seconds and it kinda feels like my teeth is loose. With my bottom piece I have no problem with it, it comes and goes on perfectly. It’s just the top that hurts to put on and take off, but the pain doesn’t last long...maybe it’s because I just got them today and they are getting used to it?

I’m getting braces in a few days but I’m just looking ahead for what to expect. Thanks! See you again in two and a half years!

Things ive learned from having a retainer: Don't eat chewy or sticky things with it on. (I tried. Very unpleasant.) But also, I've stepped on my retainer, forgotten it on vacation, lost it (currently dont know where it is but I gave up on it cause it's beyond hope and I'll need braces again when I can care for my teeth better), and it also had a massive hole through the top. Rip my retainers

Thank you for the informative . Ps. You could literally be featured in a comic book, you totally have the face for it. So cool!

Great informative video as always thank you!!

My essix actually messed my bite back up and caused me to go back into braces bc of an openbite😅😭

When I heard forever I stopped breathing for a hot second 😓

This was honestly so helpful because it informed me of the different types of retainers to choose from when I get my braces off.

Hey bentist is their anyway to reduce the pain on your teeth during wearing it?

I wear it every night, is it supposed to feel like things moved a bit by the night? I was supposed to wear it for 6 months then only at night, but I only did 3 months so idk if that affected anything?

My retainer is different than all of those. It stays in my mouth all day but isn't glued onto the tooth. It actually is kinda like the braces wire, but on the inside of my mouth. It is hooked onto my back tooth all the way around it and I can eat everything with it thankfully. I get it off once I start my second round of braces. I used to be very scared for the second round because the first was painful, but after watching ur videos, I am less scared especially comparing my not so crooked teeth to the ones that are crazy. Thank you bentist!

Thank you so much very helpful ❤

Can you please make a video about self ligating braces 🙏

Question: I got my braces removed today and got my clear retainers, but they feel a bit loose and they go way above my teeth to my gums, and when looking at pictures of retainers, they are rounded on top to your teeth, and mine are just cut straight. Is this normal? Thanks.

Im wearing them right now hope your proud of me update-they’re cracking and have grind marks but I can’t pay 300 pound for new ones so 🥲

I just my braces off today after around 3 years! But I do notice some discomfort when wearing my retainers mainly towards the back of my teeth. I’m not sure what to do, I feel like my orthodontist would blame it on me & say if you want new ones you have to pay $400 ( for both top & bottom) but that’s pretty expensive.

I needed this before i got braces again

My retainer was driving me crazy so i took it out from a tool 🤣😂🤣and my dentist was like what the... How you took that out??? I was like:👁️👄👁️

words can not describe the disappointment I felt when he said forever 😓😓😓😓

got my retainer for almost 2 weeks, vid came in clutch

Any hyrax advice as far as food choices and cleaning? My son has been struggling with his. It has fallen out twice and we are currently awaiting a newly fitted one to be replaced before his phase 1 braces.

My mom had braces as a kid, she doesn’t wear a retainer but her teeth are still nice, white, and straight

Can you make a video about rubber bands and springs?

I need to get retainors after my braces treatment and I'm getting my braces treatment on 6 months! So excited I've been waiting to bet braces for 7 years😭😭

This actually reminded me to wear my retainer!

yeah i’m not wearing it for the rest of my life

i was told that i have to get a bonded retainer & a “regular” retainer when i get my braces.. is it possible to have a clear retainer with a bonded retainer?

I used to wear a holley retainer to straighten my teeth a tiny a bit before I could get braces and I used retainer brite to clean mine :) I would fill my retainer case with water, stick a retainer brite tablet in there and let my retainer soak for a bit :D Oh yeah also I’m still waiting on braces because of COVID and my three dumb baby teeth to fall out

I just got my retainers on today so I’m glad I clicked into the video.

My husband has a permanent retainer and he's 47 years old. He got it when he was around 17.

Somehow my retainer got run over by a car a day before I got my braces 😂😂😂

I’ve had a bonded retainer for about 10 years. One of the bonds detached tonight while eating. :( now I have to decide if I want to get it fixed or just remove it all together and maybe get an invisalign retainer. I’ve always been super conserved about the cleanliness of my teeth under the wire where it’s hard to brush… everyone says wear the bonded retainer forever or else it’s the end of the world.

For me its still a bit time until my braces get out but now I know what I have to do once they get out.

How often do you need to replace your retainers?

My dad has the bonded retainer and it hasssent popped of- it’s been 27 years

This is the calmest Bentist video ever

Really good video dude