Invisalign Retainers
Why straightened teeth try to move back, how to wear and look after your Vivera retainers, what to do if one goes missing, and what else your Invisalign package includes.
Do I Need to Wear a Retainer After Invisalign?
Yes. After teeth are straightened, the fibres holding them take months to settle and keep pulling them back, and teeth also drift naturally with age, so a retainer is the only dependable way to protect the result. Expect to wear it full-time for a short spell, then every night for as long as you want straight teeth. At Peninsula Dentists on Greenwich Peninsula, Vivera retainers come with every Invisalign package, together with refinements, whitening, scans and a hygiene visit. If you lose them later, a replacement Vivera set is £350 for both arches or £200 for one.
Why Do Straightened Teeth Drift Back?
Each tooth sits in a socket of bone, slung in place by the periodontal ligament, a thin layer of fibres that works like a shock absorber. A second band of fibres wraps around the neck of the tooth just beneath the gum. Moving a tooth stretches both, and both keep a kind of memory of where the tooth started. The ligament reorganises within a few months, but the gum fibres can take a year or more, which is why teeth that were twisted are the ones most inclined to rotate back.
A second, slower force is at work too. Teeth keep shifting a little throughout adult life, treated or not, with the lower front teeth especially prone to bunching as we age. A retainer counters both. Plenty of the adults who come to us for Invisalign had braces as teenagers and stopped wearing their retainers; wearing one this time is what prevents a repeat.
What Vivera Retainers Are
Vivera is the retainer range from Align Technology, the company that makes Invisalign. Each retainer is produced from a digital scan taken when your treatment finishes, so it matches the final position of every tooth. In appearance they're close to your aligners, but the material is thicker and tougher, because a retainer has to last for years rather than a week or two.
They come out for meals and cleaning, and a set is part of every Invisalign package at Peninsula Dentists. The alternative is a bonded retainer: a fine wire fixed to the back of the front teeth. It works without you having to remember it, but floss has to be threaded under it to keep the area clean, and the wire can come unstuck without you noticing. For most people coming out of aligners, a removable Vivera retainer is the more practical choice.
Thinking About Straightening Your Teeth?
A free consultation with Dr Pei Xian Chen starts with a scan and simulation. Retainers come with every package.
How Long Will You Wear Them?
For most people there are two stages. The first is a short full-time phase, when the retainer comes out only for meals and brushing. After that it becomes a night-time habit. Dr Pei sets your schedule at the appointment where your last aligner comes out, since it depends on which teeth moved and by how much.
And for how many years? For as long as you'd like your teeth to stay where they are. Because teeth go on moving throughout life, wearing a retainer at night indefinitely is the only advice that fully protects your result. Once you're past the first year, the odd missed night won't undo anything, though several weeks without it can. Pay attention to how it feels going in. A tight retainer means your teeth have begun to wander and it is guiding them back, so wear it more often, not less.
Caring for Your Retainers
- Rinse them whenever you remove them, then brush them gently using cool water
- Keep them away from hot water, which can distort the plastic, and skip the toothpaste, which is abrasive and leaves the surface cloudy
- Put them in the case whenever they leave your mouth; a retainer folded into a napkin at lunch is the classic way to lose one
- Store the case where a dog can't reach it, as dogs love to chew them
- Brush before they go in, so plaque isn't held against your teeth all night
- Look them over every so often for splits or thin patches
- Bring them to your dental examination so we can check the fit
Treated this way, a set lasts a good while. Over time the plastic wears, yellows or cracks, and we'll tell you when a replacement is due rather than waiting for one to fail.
Lost or Broken a Retainer?
Get in touch quickly, because teeth can begin to move within a few days. Replacing both Vivera retainers costs £350, or £200 for a single arch, and an Essix retainer, a similar clear design, is from £214 per arch.2 Each is made from an iTero Element scan, so there's no putty to bite into. If you still have your final aligner, wear it at night until the replacement arrives.
If a long gap has left your retainer too tight to go in, resist the urge to force it. One that clicks into place with gentle pressure can usually bring the teeth back if you wear it more. One that won't seat at all tells us the teeth have travelled further, and the usual answer is a short course of aligners. Invisalign Lite, from £1,795, is suited to this kind of relapse and finishes with a fresh set of Vivera retainers.
Everything Else Your Package Includes
- iTero Element scans, your 3D simulation and X-rays
- Every aligner in your series
- Refinement aligners if the result needs fine-tuning
- Vivera retainers when treatment ends
- Teeth whitening
- A hygiene visit with our hygienist
None of these is charged on top. Our Invisalign cost guide explains the three packages, Lite from £1,795, Moderate from £3,000 and Comprehensive from £3,500, and the cases each one suits.2 Whitening is included because a brighter shade is often the next thing people want once their teeth are straight. It works best at the end of treatment and before any bonding or veneers, so new work can be matched to your whitened teeth.
Retainers and the Health of Your Mouth
A retainer keeps teeth in line; it does nothing to keep them healthy. Straight teeth are easier to clean, yet they can still decay and the gums around them can still become inflamed, so stay on top of your dental examinations and hygiene appointments, and floss or use interdental brushes every day. If you grind or clench at night, let us know. A thin retainer isn't designed to absorb that force, and a night guard may be needed as well. Lastly, if your retainer suddenly fits differently, looser or tighter, or your teeth no longer meet the way they did, book an appointment rather than waiting for your next routine visit. A fit check is quick, and with North Greenwich station ten minutes' walk away it's easy to fit around a working day. A small drift caught early is far simpler to put right.
Questions
This guide explains the options in general terms. Only an examination can tell you which of them suits your own teeth.