Keep the Smile You Love
Shelbyville & Frankfort Retainers
Retainers at Sebastian Orthodontics help keep your teeth from shifting after braces or clear aligners. They’re a simple but important part of protecting your new smile for the long run.
Protecting Smiles in Shelbyville & Frankfort
Wearing a retainer is the best way to help keep your teeth in place after braces or clear aligner treatment. Without one, your teeth can gradually shift back out of alignment over time.
At Sebastian Orthodontics, Dr. Leah Sebastian will help you choose the right retainer for your smile, needs, and routine. Whether you need a removable or fixed option, your retainer will be designed to protect the results you worked hard to achieve.
Essix Retainers
Essix retainers are clear, removable trays made to fit your smile after orthodontic treatment. They help hold your teeth in place while offering a comfortable, low-profile way to protect your results.
Hawley Retainers
Hawley retainers are a classic, dependable option for keeping your smile straight after treatment. They are durable, removable, and custom-made to help maintain your results over time.
How Essix Retainers Work
Essix retainers are fabricated from detailed scans or impressions of your teeth, providing a custom fit for long-term smile retention.
Because they are clear and removable, Essix retainers are easy to wear throughout your routine. They fit closely over your teeth and help keep your smile from shifting after braces or clear aligners.
How Hawley Retainers Work
Hawley retainers are made with a plastic base and a thin metal wire that rests across the front of your teeth. Each retainer is shaped to fit your smile and help hold your teeth in their new positions.
One benefit of a Hawley retainer is that it can sometimes be adjusted if your teeth shift slightly. Dr. Sebastian can assess the fit and make small adjustments as needed to support your retention plan.
In-House Retainers
Custom retainers help protect the smile you worked hard to achieve. At Sebastian Orthodontics, Dr. Sebastian can recommend the right retainer option based on your treatment, your smile, and your long-term needs.
Fixed Retainers
A fixed retainer may be recommended when certain teeth need extra support after treatment. This type of retainer stays attached behind the teeth, helping maintain alignment without you having to remember to wear it.
How In-House Retainers Work
In-house retainers are made using detailed digital scans of your teeth, allowing our team to create a custom fit for your smile.
Because these retainers can be made through the office, they may help make replacement easier if your retainer is lost, damaged, or no longer fits properly. That means you can get back to protecting your smile with less delay.
How Fixed Retainers Work
Fixed retainers are typically placed behind the front teeth, where a thin wire helps keep them from shifting. Dr. Sebastian will only recommend this option when it makes sense for your smile and retention needs.
If you need a fixed retainer, we may also recommend a removable retainer to help protect the rest of your smile. Our team will explain how to care for your fixed retainer and keep the area clean.
Phase 1 Retainers
After Phase 1 treatment, some younger patients may need a special retainer or appliance to help maintain their progress while their smile continues to grow. This helps protect early treatment results until your child is ready for the next step.
How Phase 1 Retainers Work
A Phase 1 retainer or appliance is designed around your child’s growth and orthodontic needs. Depending on the case, it may help hold space, support jaw position, or maintain progress while permanent teeth continue to come in.
Dr. Sebastian will monitor your child’s growth over time and let you know when they are ready for Phase 2 treatment. Until then, the retainer helps keep their smile development on the right track.
How To Care for Your Retainer
Your smile journey does not stop when your braces or clear aligner treatment ends. Wearing and caring for your retainer properly helps protect your new smile and prevent your teeth from shifting over time.
Follow these retainer care tips to keep your smile on track:
Wear your retainer as directed by Dr. Sebastian. You can remove it for eating, brushing, swimming, and contact sports unless we tell you otherwise.
Bring your retainer to follow-up visits so our team can check the fit and make sure it is still doing its job.
Keep your retainer in its case whenever you are not wearing it. This helps prevent damage, loss, and unexpected replacement costs.
Call our office if your retainer feels too tight, does not fit correctly, or becomes cracked or broken. We can help you decide what to do next.
Let us know right away if you lose your retainer. Teeth can shift quickly without retention, so replacing it as soon as possible is important.
Clean your retainer once a day with a toothbrush and warm water. Avoid hot water, which can warp the plastic.
Keep your retainer away from heat, including hot cars, washing machines, dryers, pockets, and hot water. Heat can warp or damage your retainer.
Treat your retainer with care, and it can help protect your smile throughout your retention phase.
Retainers FAQs
Wondering what life with retainers is like? Here’s what to expect when retaining your smile post-treatment at Sebastian Orthodontics.
