Treatments / Retainers
Retainers
Fixed or removable, to hold the teeth where treatment left them. Retainers are included with treatment here — these prices are for anyone who needs a new one, or who was treated somewhere else.
What it costs
If we treated you, your retainers are part of the fee and these prices do not apply to you. They are for a replacement, or for someone who was treated elsewhere and needs a retainer made.
Why they are not optional
Teeth are held in bone by fibres that have a memory. Left alone after treatment, they drift — sometimes within months. A retainer is what turns a result into a lasting one, and it is the part of orthodontics people most often regret skipping.
The two kinds
Most people end up with both: a fixed wire behind the front teeth and a removable retainer worn at night.
- Fixed: a thin wire bonded behind the teeth. Nothing to remember, but it needs careful cleaning and checking
- Removable: a clear retainer worn at night. Works only if it is actually worn
Questions
What people ask
How long do I have to wear it?
For as long as you want the teeth to stay where they are. In practice that means indefinitely, at night.
I lost mine years ago and the teeth have moved. Can it be fixed?
Usually, yes, though it may mean a short course of treatment before a new retainer. Come and let us look.
Is retainers right for your teeth?
That is what the consultation answers. You leave with the options set out — including the ones you did not come in asking about — and an idea of what each would cost.