Lost a retainer, cracked one in half, or found the old one no longer fits? You need a replacement retainer, and you need it before your teeth start drifting back. Wright Orthodontics makes replacement retainers for patients at both our Atlanta and Marietta offices. Call or text (404) 417-0771 and we will get you scheduled for a scan.
Why a Missing Retainer Is Urgent
Teeth move. After braces or Invisalign, the bone and ligaments around your teeth need time to stabilize, and retainers hold everything in place while that happens. Go a few weeks without one and you may notice crowding on the lower front teeth or a gap that had closed starting to reopen. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that a replacement retainer will not seat the way the old one did, and the more likely you are to need a short round of aligners to bring the teeth back before a new retainer can hold them.
If your retainer is lost, broken, or tight and painful to insert, treat it as time sensitive rather than something to handle next month.
How Replacement Retainers Work at Wright Orthodontics
1. Call and Get Scheduled
Reach us at (404) 417-0771 or through our contact page. Tell us which retainer you have, when you last wore it, and which office is easier for you. We will tell you the soonest appointment we can offer at that location.
2. Digital Scan Instead of Goopy Impressions
We take a digital iTero scan of your teeth rather than the putty impressions you may remember. It takes a few minutes, there is nothing to gag on, and the scan is far more accurate, which matters a great deal for a retainer that has to fit exactly.
3. Fabrication and Fit Check
Your new retainer is made from that scan and then checked in the office for fit and comfort. If it needs adjusting, we adjust it before you leave. You should be able to insert and remove it without force and without pressure points on your gums.
Do You Have to Be an Existing Patient?
No. We make replacement retainers for patients who finished treatment with us and for people who had braces or aligners somewhere else, including patients who moved to Atlanta after treatment elsewhere. If you were treated by another practice, bring what you know about your treatment and any retainer you still have, even a broken one, since it tells us what design you were wearing.
Retainer Types We Replace
- Clear removable retainers – thin, nearly invisible, worn at night for most patients after the initial full-time period.
- Hawley retainers – acrylic and wire, durable, adjustable, and easy to repair if the wire shifts.
- Bonded (permanent) retainers – a thin wire fixed behind the front teeth. If yours has come loose on one end, see our retainer repair page.
How to Avoid Needing the Next One
Most replacements come from three habits: wrapping the retainer in a napkin at a restaurant, leaving it in a hot car, or letting a dog find it. Keep it in its case every single time it leaves your mouth, rinse it in cool water rather than hot, and brush it gently with a soft toothbrush. If it starts to smell or cloud, clean it, but never boil it or run it through the dishwasher.
Get a Replacement Retainer in Atlanta or Marietta
Dr. Marc S. Wright and our team see patients at 3019-B North Druid Hills Rd. NE in Atlanta and 990 B Whitlock Ave. NW in Marietta. Call or text (404) 417-0771, or start a virtual consult if you would rather send photos first. If you still have your retainer and it is only damaged, retainer repair may be the faster option.