Frank Tsung-Ju Hsieh, DDS, MSD

Retention

When we remove your braces, we will begin the retention stage of your treatment. The retention phase lasts for a minimum of 24 months. Your final orthodontic result depends on your retainers.

There are three different types of retainers. Dr. Hsieh will discuss which retainer is best for you near the end of your treatment.

• The Hawley retainer is a removable retainer made of acrylic (plastic) and wire. It is custom-made in a mold and fits your mouth precisely.

• The slipcover retainer is a removable retainer made of clear plastic. It is custom-made vacuum-formed retainer which fits your teeth precisely. It resembles an Invisalign appliance.
• A bonded lingual retainer is a thin, flexible wire that is attached to the back or lingual surface of your front teeth. They cannot be seen when you smile and are easy to get used to. You may need to spend more time with flossing with this retainer.

When removable retainers are given to our patients, they need to be worn 20 hours per day for the first six months. At that time, Dr. Hsieh will evaluate you and usually reduces the number of hours.

Retainers can be lost and broken easily:

• Do not wrap in tissue.
• Always keep in the case when not in the mouth.
• Keep away from pets.

Top ten lost or broken retainer stories:

1. My dog ate it.
2. My mom put it in the microwave.
3. It got flushed down the toilet.
4. My housekeeper put it in the washer/dryer.
5. It fell out of my mouth into the ocean.
6. It flew out of the car window.
7. It got thrown away in the lunchroom.
8. It was vacuumed up.
9. I dropped it and stepped on it.
10. I left it on the school bus

Back to top