With good care, retainers should last many years. But like glasses and watches, eventually they will need to be replaced. Their actual life span depends on how well you take care of them and how your body interacts with the plastic. Generally speaking, Hawley retainers (the plastic and wire kind) last longer than the “vacuform” or Invisalign-style retainers.
If you feel like your retainer is no longer fitting properly (it’s loose or rocky or too tight) or you feel your teeth or bite have changed, please give us a call. Very often Dr. Laurent can work her retainer magic to get it back in place.
If you’ve lost or broken your retainer (or the new puppy got to it…), please give us a call ASAP for a remake. New retainers require new impressions and if you wait until your teeth have moved, then the retainer will be made to the new crooked position.