Question about essix retainer

[jessi]

Hi,

Just got braces removed and got permanent lingual retainer on bottom and essix for top teeth. Must you brush after every time you eat before putting your essix back in? That would mean brushing 4 or more times a day for me. Is this really necessary or can I just rinse out my mouth after eating, put the retainer back in and clean it when I'm in a position to do so? I'm sure this won't be a problem once I get to the point where I'm only wearing the retainer at night, but for now, it's 24/7.

[Sunny]

You should make sure your mouth, teeth and retainer are clean. There's a couple of reasons ... the main one is the quality of the enamel on your teeth and the other is the affect on the aligner - especially the smell.

If you make sure you rinse your mouth multiply times and that there's no food stuck between your teeth etc ... then it should be safe to put your retainer back on. We recommend our patients have mouthwash with them, as that helps keep the mouth smiling good after eating.

Good luck with your retainers!