Retainers hold your teeth in place after straightening with braces, aligners, or other appliances. Oral health care providers, such as orthodontists, can also use retainers to improve your bite, move a tooth or two, or help you speak more clearly.
Here’s a look at the different types of retainers, their costs, and their pros and cons.
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What is a Retainer?
A retainer is an appliance that holds your teeth in place after orthodontic treatment. Teeth tend to shift toward their original position if they are not held in place while the bone hardens around them. Bone is living tissue and continues to change throughout our lives, and retainers can help keep your teeth aligned for many years.
Removable retainers
Removable retainers are retainers that you insert and remove yourself. Health care providers use them most often on the upper front teeth. Removable retainers are easy to slide in and out when you want, but you need to monitor them, use them as recommended by your provider, and clean them regularly.
There are two types of removable retainers and each has advantages and disadvantages.
Hawley Retainers
Hawley retainers are what many people think of when they hear the word “retainer”. They are one of the most common types of retainers and have been around for almost 100 years.
To create them, dental healthcare providers create a mold of your upper palate using hard plastic or acrylic and attach wires that hold your teeth in place. The plastic part was made to match the color of your palate, but now you can order it in different designs and colors.
Clear plastic retainers
The other type of removable retainer is made of clear plastic or polyurethane.
To create them, your dental healthcare provider will make a mold of your teeth. Either their office or a lab will fill the mold with the clear material, which has been heated to soften it so it conforms to the mold. A vacuum device pulls it tightly against the mold, so it makes a perfect copy of your teeth. When wearing it, the clear plastic is barely noticeable, if at all.
Here are some of the pros and cons of removable retainers.
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Easy to get in and out
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Easy maintenance of oral hygiene
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The Hawley retainer can be repaired
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The Hawley holder is adjustable
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The Hawley form is quite durable
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Clear retainers are not noticeable
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It can be lost or lost
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It requires daily cleaning
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It can affect speech
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The Hawley form is visible
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Clear retainers may crack or turn yellow over time
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Clear retainers are not adjustable
Permanent retainers
Permanent retainers are placed by a dental health care provider and remain in place until they are removed by a professional. The custom dental health care provider applies a wire to the back of your teeth and glues or tapes it into place.
Permanent retainers are most often used for lower teeth. They can be a good option if you think you might not remember to use your removable retainer, but they can make it harder to keep your teeth clean.
With daily function, the teeth can still move with a permanent retainer in place. This is because the wires used in most “permanent” retainers are flexible.
It is also not uncommon for permanent retainers to break without being noticed, especially if the break occurs between the teeth but the wire is still attached to the teeth. Patients will often notice that the permanent retainer has broken when the teeth have shifted at the fracture site.
Here are some of the pros and cons of permanent retainers.
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The mold takes longer to make than the removable retainer
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It can be difficult to use the thread
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It should be removed by an oral health care provider for adjustment if it is uncomfortable
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The bond can loosen or break
How Much Does a Retainer Cost?
Costs vary widely because your dental health care provider determines the cost of the retainer, and it can vary depending on where you live, your insurance coverage, and other factors.
Some representative costs are below, including costs if lost, broken or in need of adjustment.
| Comparison of tooth retention costs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Permanent | Hawley | Clear |
| Cost | $250-$550 per cable (top and bottom) | $150 -300 per arch | $100-300 per disc |
| Stamina | Up to 20 years | Up to 10 years | Up to 3 years, but may turn yellow or tear |
| Adjustable | Yes | Yes | No |
| Repairs | Yes | Yes | No |
| Replacement cost | Same as original (although there may be an extra charge to remove broken pieces of the old retainer) | Same as the original | Same as the original |
Other Considerations
Your dental health care provider will recommend the type of retainer they think is best for you or offer other options. They may recommend a combination of retainers: removable for the upper teeth and permanent for the lower teeth.
Remember that it will take about four to six months for the bone around your teeth to harden after orthodontics, but teeth can continue to change as we age as our bones and other tissues change.
When you talk to your oral health care provider about types of retainers, consider which one might work best for you over time. Remember the pros and cons of each type and what works best for your lifestyle.
In the case of permanent retainers, it can be difficult to keep your teeth clean. However, threaded threads can reach areas that cannot be reached by wire. Water flossers are another option.
Also consider that if the wire of a permanent retainer breaks or bends, an oral health care provider will need to remove it to repair it. They can also cause irritation, but can be adjusted if so.
Clear retainers are more fragile and more likely to need replacement.
Why you might need a retainer
If you want to get the most out of the time and money you spend straightening your teeth, you need a retainer. If you only have one or two teeth that need to be moved, a retainer instead of braces or an aligner can address this.
If your tongue tends to move forward when you speak and makes your speech slurred, a retainer can slightly align your teeth so you can articulate more clearly.
Summary
Retainers help keep your teeth in place after orthodontic treatment, such as teeth straightening.
Retainers are divided into two categories: removable and permanent. Removable retainers can be made with a mold of the upper palate and wires or with a clear material that is not very visible but is thinner. Permanent retainers are fitted and placed by your dental care provider, who can remove them if necessary.
All retainers have their pros and cons, so consider cost, maintenance, ease of use, durability, and visibility when discussing retainers with your dental care provider.
A word from Verywell
If you’ve been wearing braces or clear aligners, you’ve probably spent a lot of time and money getting your teeth where you want them. It’s a great feeling to finally see results, so it’s worth the commitment to wear your retainer for as long as recommended or longer. Talk to your dental health care provider about which retainer option is best for you.
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