With getting ready for your yearly holiday photocards, it is important to keep your teeth straight. Remembering to wear your retainer at night can be difficult, especially when you have many things on your mind, or you are simply wiped out from your busy day. While going one night without your retainer is no big deal, going weeks or even months at a time can cause serious dental issues down the road.
When you don’t wear your retainer, your teeth have the ability to shift back to their original positions prior to your braces treatment. In order to help, Dr. Alamir and Beauty Smile Orthodontics has some helpful tips that can help you to remember to wear your retainer every night.
- Set an Alarm: Setting an alarm on your phone, computer, alarm clock, or your watch is a very effective way to remind yourself that it’s time to put your retainer in.
- Make a Note: Placing visible notes up around your rooms, such as on your bathroom mirror or your nightstand, will help to remind you to wear your retainer, especially when you are getting ready for bed.
- Ask for Reminders: If you are a visual learner, writing down the instructions and setting a schedule for your retainer can help you to better retain that information. This will help you to remember not only how to care for it, but when to wear it as well.
- Clean your Retainer Regularly: Having a regular cleaning schedule can help you to remember to wear your retainer, especially since no one wants to wear a dirty one.
- Keep your Retainer where you will Notice It: Not only is it important that you keep your retainer in its case to prevent losing it, but it can be helpful in reminding you to wear it, especially when you are leaving the case where you will notice it before you go to bed.
- Understand the Consequences of not Wearing Your Retainer: By asking your orthodontist or doing some research for examples of how your teeth can shift when retainers are not properly used, you will have a greater understanding of the gravity of wearing retainers.
If you have questions regarding your dental health or need assistance of any kind, contact Beauty Smile Orthodontics for more information today!