Retainers: Keeping Straight Teeth Straight
For adults who have finished, or are planning, braces or aligners: why retainers are lifelong, the main types, wear, how long they last, what guidance says about replacement charges, broken retainers and the fee list. The core point: tooth position can keep changing throughout life, so retainers are worn for the long term.
5.0 from 550+ Google reviews
Open 8am to 8pm, seven days
Free parking at the door
CQC & GDC registered
No referral needed
Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, dentist · GDC 301711
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general information only. It does not replace an examination or treatment by a dentist.
This page was reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, the principal dentist at Deepcar Dental Care. A General Dental Practitioner, he holds a BDS, a BSc (Hons), an MSc (Leeds), a PG Dip in Implant Dentistry and a PG Cert in Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry.
Why are retainers needed after orthodontic treatment?
Orthodontic retainers, often called dental retainers, hold straightened teeth in their new positions, and the British Orthodontic Society (BOS) promotes lifelong retention. Its retainers leaflet adds that teeth can keep shifting for life, as part of normal ageing.
BOS gives two reasons retainers matter. Teeth tend to drift back towards where they started, which is called relapse. And with age, teeth may begin to move unpredictably, often crossing over or becoming more crowded.
Retainers are fitted once the braces come off, BOS explains, and it says retainers are needed after any treatment with clear aligners too. Treatment options are covered on our page about straightening teeth.
Why teeth can be moved at all is explained on our page about the biology of tooth movement, and how composite bonding fits alongside a retainer on our page about bonding after straightening.
Do you need a retainer forever?
To keep your teeth from moving, yes. BOS's retainers leaflet says the only way to make sure teeth cannot move is to wear retainers part time for life.
If you stop wearing them, it warns, there is a high chance your teeth will move, and teeth that move may be difficult to correct and are unlikely to be treated under the NHS. A Queen Victoria Hospital NHS leaflet agrees that retention is for life.
A 2021 systematic review of fixed retainers, covering 21 studies of varied design, concluded that no retainer has been proven to keep alignment fully stable, while BOS says the longer retainers are worn, the longer teeth can be kept straight.
If you notice your teeth have shifted, with or without a retainer, show them to a dentist. Why teeth drift back is covered on our page about orthodontic relapse.
What types of retainer are there?
Retainers come in fixed and removable forms, and BOS names three types as the most common in the UK.
- Vacuum-formed retainer: a clear, removable retainer that is usually worn part time. BOS says you must never eat or drink with it in. It grips the teeth firmly at first, and most people adapt very well.
- Bonded retainer: fixed, stuck to the teeth, usually on the inside where it cannot be seen, so there is nothing to remember to put in. It needs extra time spent cleaning around it, and if it ever comes loose, BOS says to seek advice, so contact a dentist promptly.
- Hawley retainer: a sturdy removable retainer with a plastic part behind the lower teeth or in the palate, and usually a thin wire across the front teeth. It may affect speech slightly at first, which BOS says quickly improves; if it does not, tell a dentist.
The choice depends on several factors, BOS says, and some people are advised to wear more than one type to lower the chance of relapse.
The decision between the two broad forms has its own page on choosing between fixed and removable retainers.
What does research say about fixed and removable retainers?
Research has not shown any one type of retainer to be clearly better than the others.
A 2023 Cochrane review of 47 trials, with 4,377 children and adults treated with braces, rated its evidence low or very low certainty. Most comparisons and outcomes rested on one study at high risk of bias, most followed patients for less than a year, and aligner studies were excluded. It reported trade-offs:
- Clear plastic retainers worn part time on the lower teeth allowed more relapse than multistrand fixed retainers, though not a clinically significant amount. They were more likely to cause discomfort, but failed less often and were linked with better gum health (one study). Discomfort that does not settle is worth showing to a dentist.
- Clear plastic retainers worn full time on the lower teeth gave no clinically significant stability benefit over fixed retainers. They were linked with better gum health but a higher risk of failure, such as breaking, coming off or being lost, with no difference in decay (one study). If yours breaks or is lost, see a dentist as soon as possible.
- Clear plastic and Hawley retainers worn on the lower teeth on the same routine gave similar stability in one small study. Hawley retainers had a lower risk of failure but were less comfortable at six months (one study each). Discomfort that does not settle is worth showing to a dentist.
The review concluded that, with low to very low certainty evidence, no firm conclusion can be drawn about any one approach to retention over another.
To ask about retainers, book online or call 0114 288 2121.
How often do you need to wear a retainer?
How often you wear a retainer depends on its type and on the instructions given when treatment ends.
BOS says each type comes with its own instructions, and following them helps lower the chance of relapse. If you have been asked to wear a removable retainer full time, BOS says to take it out only for eating, cleaning, contact sports and swimming.
Evidence on wearing time is limited: one small trial in the Cochrane review found no evidence of a difference in stability between part-time and full-time Hawley wear. That is not evidence that wear can stop, since BOS links stopping with a high chance of the teeth moving.
As general guidance, night-time wear is where most people end up, with the type of retainer and the routine set out when treatment finishes; your plan confirms yours. How long retainers are worn has its own page on how long you need to wear a retainer.
How long does a retainer last?
Evidence on how long a retainer lasts is limited: the 2023 Cochrane review calls for more high-quality studies measuring it.
Most of the evidence concerns fixed retainers. In the Cochrane review, whose evidence is low or very low certainty, fibre-reinforced composite and multistrand wire retainers had similar survival at 12 months (7 studies, 1,337 participants), but fibre retainers failed earlier in 2 studies followed for 24 months, and one study found higher gum inflammation scores with them at six months, although bleeding scores were similar. The 2021 review, whose studies varied in design, found no wire or fibre retainer better for failure rate, but said fibre retainers fail much more often when the bonding technique is imperfect. If a fixed retainer comes loose, contact a dentist promptly.
The Queen Victoria Hospital leaflet says bonded retainers often stay in place indefinitely. BOS warns that clicking a removable retainer in and out with your tongue can break it or make it loose and less effective, and that hard or chewy foods such as apples, carrots and crusty bread can damage a retainer unless avoided or cut up. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust says never to use hot water on removable retainers, as they may distort. If yours is damaged, contact a dentist as soon as possible.
What does guidance say about paying for a replacement retainer?
Repairing or replacing a retainer may carry a charge, BOS says. Its leaflet explains that under the NHS, the treating team is responsible for a 12-month retention period, after which continuing care, re-treatment and any retainer replacement or repair are paid for privately. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust tells its own patients that a replacement in the first year carries an NHS charge, even for those exempt from NHS charges, reclaimable through an online form at the NHS Business Services Authority's discretion.
What should you do if your retainer breaks or is lost?
If a retainer breaks or is lost, BOS advises arranging an appointment as soon as possible rather than waiting for your next review.
Timing matters because the teeth may move while you cannot wear it. For a fixed retainer that breaks or comes loose, the Queen Victoria Hospital leaflet asks its patients to let the hospital team know immediately. More detail is on our page about a lost or broken retainer.
How do you look after a retainer?
BOS advises cleaning a removable retainer gently with a toothbrush and cold water over a sink, never with toothpaste, which can roughen and discolour it.
Take a removable retainer out to brush your teeth, and keep it in a protective box whenever it is out, BOS says. More on day-to-day care is on our page about cleaning and caring for retainers.
How much do retainers cost?
Retainers have no line on the practice's current fee list.
Frequently asked questions
Can you eat or drink with a retainer in?
It depends on the type and your instructions. BOS says never to eat or drink with a vacuum-formed retainer in place. Whichever type you wear, it advises avoiding sugary snacks and drinks between meals and at bedtime; sticky, chewy or hard sweets, mints and sugared chewing gum; and fizzy drinks, including diet drinks, and large amounts of fruit juice.
Will a retainer change how you speak?
A removable retainer may at first. BOS says speech may be different to begin with and suggests practising speaking with it in, such as reading aloud at home; speech should return to normal within a few days. You may also make more saliva at first, which should pass after a few days. If either does not settle, tell a dentist.
What should you do with a retainer during sport or swimming?
Take a removable retainer out. BOS advises wearing a mouthguard instead for contact sports and for activities that need a protective helmet, such as skateboarding or horse riding, and taking the retainer out for swimming. It adds that you may wish to have a new mouthguard now that you wear retainers.
Should you keep seeing your dentist while wearing a retainer?
Yes. BOS says it is very important to keep visiting your regular dentist while you wear retainers, so your teeth can be checked for decay. Its leaflet also asks you to brush your teeth for 2 minutes at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
Can a retainer damage your teeth or gums?
It may, BOS suggests, if instructions or cleaning slip. It says following your retainer's instructions helps make sure it does not damage your teeth and gums, and that sugary snacks and drinks, with poor cleaning of the teeth and retainer, may cause lasting damage to the teeth. If you have a concern about your teeth or gums, show a dentist.
Book a consultation.
Online in under a minute, or call and speak to a real person.
Patient reviews of Deepcar Dental Care are on our patient reviews page.
The practice is open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday, and takes bookings online or by phone.
334 Manchester Road
Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2RH
0114 288 2121
Contact us
Opening hours
Open 8am to 8pm, seven days
Free parking at the door