4 Ways to Avoid Lost Retainers

By Shakara Robinson on August 28, 2018 in Kid's Health

You’ve forked over the dollars for braces and now to keep those pearly whites perfectly aligned, your child now has a retainer. But…not even a week later, they come home from school saying, “I lost my retainer!”

Retainers can help solve various mouth and jaw issues, but are most commonly worn after braces are removed. Your child will need a custom-made retainer to hold their teeth in their new position. This step is just as critical in the orthodontic process as wearing braces, so losing a retainer and going without it can delay that straight smile. Replacement retainers are costly and going without it can cause your child’s teeth to become crooked again.

Before you face this costly situation, work with your child on how to keep a new retainer safe. Here are some ways to help your child keep this expensive appliance out of the trash:

4 Ways to Avoid Lost Retainers:

1. Customize the retainer plastic with a bright color or your child’s favorite character or design. They’ll be more excited to keep track of a personalized appliance.
2. Always keep the retainer near its case to avoid losing either one. Never rely on a napkin for storage, even for a quick snack.
3. Add a name label to the case.
4. Ask the lab to put your child’s name and your phone number in the plastic. This is often done for both retainers and dentures [if you would need those later on...: ) ].

Make sure your child follows these tips and hopefully you’ll never hear, “I lost my retainer!” again.

Need more retainer advice? Check out these blogs:

How To Clean Your Retainer