Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and ...

Clear retainers are supposed to keep your smile in place—but they also collect bacteria, plaque, odor, mineral buildup, and whatever you ate for lunch if you’re not careful. Most people rinse them ...

Teeth retainers are removable dental devices that fit over a person’s upper or lower teeth. They keep someone’s teeth in their correct alignment, often as a follow-up to braces. After teeth ...

Innovative research is underway at the UCSF School of Dentistry to produce a Bluetooth smart retainer for orthodontics patients. The goal of the SmartByte retainer is to increase the amount of time a ...

You will want to follow your orthodontist’s instructions on wearing a retainer, to maintain the results of braces. This may mean wearing a retainer all day, every day for 4 months, or for 12 months.

Permanent or fixed retainers are made of a metal wire that is glued to your teeth. Usually, this wire is smooth and solid or has a braided texture. It’s attached to your teeth and adjusted to your ...

Retainers are necessary to prevent teeth from shifting after braces. No single retainer type is superior—customization is key. Fixed retainers can increase plaque buildup and require extra hygiene ...