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Dentistry Fixed Retainer
To ensure the success of your orthodontic treatment is maintained, please read the following carefully.
Following a course of orthodontic treatment, wearing retainers are essential to support the teeth, whilst your bone and gums remodel with your teeth in their new position. Retainers can be removable and non-removable (i.e. fixed). Removable retainers are routinely fitted follow- ing all orthodontic treatment, but your orthodontist may advise some patients to have an addi- tional fixed retainer fitted.
A fixed retainer is a thin wire which is semi-permanently bonded to the back of your front teeth. It is usually bonded to between two – six front teeth. Your orthodontist will make a clinical judgement as to which teeth should be bonded. The reason for fitting a fixed retainer is to ad – ditionally help reduce the risk of your teeth moving back to their original position (relapse).
Not everyone needs a fixed retainer and please remember that it is NOT a substitute for wear- ing a removable retainer. If however your orthodontist is concerned about certain corrected tooth movements being more prone to relapse, then they may advise you to have one. There are some patients however who are not suitable to have one, e.g. younger patients; patients prone to breakages; patients who struggle to maintain good oral hygiene; or patients with mul- tiple fillings on their front teeth; or have crowns which are not reliable to bond to or simply be – cause the fit of their teeth does not allow the room required to accommodate the fixed retainer.
Having a fixed retainer in place can lead to the teeth being more prone to tooth decay and hence patients with fixed retainers need to be prepared to clean carefully and care for it. Pa – tients need to also budget for the longterm maintenance of fixed retainers as they will require repair, removal or replacement in the future.
Clean your fixed retainer with either the same electric or manual brush that you use to clean your teeth, at least twice a day for at least 2 minutes each time.
It is advisable that you clean interdentally between all your other teeth on a daily basis, ideally using a combination of floss and TePe interdental brushes. However, where your fixed retainer is bonded, you should be able to still floss but only up to where the wire is bonded. Afterwards, use your TePe interdental brushes to clean between the teeth, where your fixed retainer is bonded, above the peak of the gum in between the teeth.
Sometimes, it is not noticeable when your fixed retainer has broken or distorted and therefore it is important that you have your fixed retainer checked regularly. This may be either by your orthodontist during the first 12 months following your orthodontic treatment, your dentist or hygienist during routine check-ups or cleans, for the years ahead once you are discharged from your orthodontist. If you dentist or hygienist notice a breakage they may advise that you return to see your orthodontist for further management.
If you have any concerns about your fixed retainer, please contact our practice and a member of our team will happily offer advice, and if necessary, book an appointment for you to see your orthodontist. Please note that there will be a fee for seeing your orthodontist again after your have been discharged.
It is important that you still wear your removable retainer, because if a breakage has occurred then wearing your removable retainer at night will reduce the risk of your teeth moving, prior to you returning to have the problem addressed.
Please be aware that it your fixed retainer is badly broken or needs replacing, it is likely that your original removable retainer will no longer fit following a repair or replacement. You would therefore need to be prepared to pay for a new removable retainer, as well as the repair/ re – placement of your fixed retainer.
The risk of relapse is greatest within the first 12 months after braces are removed. Therefore, if your fixed retainer lasts at least that duration of time, then it has served it’s purpose. Your orthodontist will supervise and support you wearing your retainers during this period. At your appointments, your orthodontist will check that your fixed retainer has not broken, and if so will advise and repair as necessary.
However, the reality is that fixed retainers can last for many years, after you have been dis- charged. So, if you are not having any issues with your fixed retainer and you are happy to continue wearing it, then you can leave it in place for as long as it will last. Please note that it will fail at some point in the future though, at which point you can decide whether you want it repairing, removing or replacing. Please call our practice and we will be able to offer advice and inform you of the fee involved for the work involved.
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BONDING
Dental Health Plan
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Our Macmillan Coffee Morning is in full swing at Evolve Dentistry, and we’d love to see you!
We’ve got plenty of delicious homemade cakes waiting for you, so pop in, say hello, grab a slice (or two!) and help us raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
We’ll be serving cakes right through until 5pm today, so there’s still plenty of time to come down.
📍 Evolve Dentistry, Portishead
🍰 Cakes until 5pm
💚 Everyone is welcome
Come hungry! 😋
#MacmillanCoffeeMorning #MacmillanCancerSupport #Portishead #PortisheadCommunity #EvolveDentistry
🍰☕ Today’s the day - and there’s cake! 💚
Our Macmillan Coffee Morning is happening TODAY at Evolve Dentistry and we’d love you to come and join us.
The Evolve team have been busy baking (and possibly buying… we won’t judge! 😉) and there’ll be plenty of cake and drinks available throughout the day, all in support of Macmillan Cancer Support.
And remember - you don’t need to be an Evolve patient to come along.
If you live or work in Portishead, are passing by, or just fancy an excellent excuse for cake, pop in and see us. Bring a friend, your family or your workmates too!
📍 Evolve Dentistry, Portishead
🍰 Cake and drinks throughout the day
💚 Donations for Macmillan Cancer Support
👋 Everyone welcome
No appointment needed - just pop in!
Come and help us eat an unreasonable amount of cake for a very good cause. 💚
Please share so we can get as many people through the doors as possible!
Do I have to replace a missing tooth?
If you`ve lost a tooth, do you have to replace it?
Not necessarily.
And that`s an important starting point.
What happens next depends on which tooth is missing, your mouth, how you bite, how you feel about the gap and what`s happening with the teeth around it.
Yasmin explains some of the things we consider when a tooth is missing.
The important thing isn`t assuming you need a particular treatment.
It`s understanding your options - including whether doing nothing could be a reasonable option for you.
Why have my teeth suddenly become sensitive?
That sudden zing when you drink something cold. 🥶
Sound familiar?
Sensitive teeth are common, but there isn`t just one possible cause.
Richard explains some of the reasons teeth can become sensitive and why it`s worth mentioning if you`ve noticed something new.
Sometimes a little sensitivity is exactly that.
But a change that persists is something we`d rather know about than have you quietly avoiding ice cream for the foreseeable future.
Having a tooth removed probably isn`t an appointment anyone particularly looks forward to.
Which is precisely why feedback like this means so much:
“Made getting a tooth extracted incredibly easy and straightforward.”
Good dental care isn`t only about the procedure itself.
It`s about knowing what`s going to happen, being able to ask questions, feeling listened to and being looked after throughout.
Thank you for trusting us with your care - and for taking the time to tell us about your experience.
☕🍰 Join us for our Macmillan Coffee Morning! 💚
On Friday 25 September, the Evolve team will be swapping dental instruments for cake slices as we take part in the Macmillan Coffee Morning!
Our team will be bringing in their best bakes and we’d love you to pop in, enjoy a slice of cake and a drink, and help us raise as much as possible for Macmillan Cancer Support.
💚 Everyone is welcome - you don’t need to be an Evolve patient.
So whether you’re a patient, friend, neighbour, local business or simply passing by, come in and say hello. Bring your friends, family or work colleagues too!
📅 Friday 25 September
📍 Evolve Dentistry, Portishead
🍰 Cakes and drinks available throughout the day
💚 Donations in support of Macmillan Cancer Support
No appointment needed - just pop in!
We’d love to see lots of familiar faces and hopefully meet plenty of new ones too. And, most importantly, eat plenty of cake while raising money for a brilliant cause.
Please share this post and help us spread the word around Portishead. 💚
What can composite bonding actually change?
Composite bonding isn`t about giving everyone the same smile.
It can be used in different ways depending on what someone would like to change.
That might mean adjusting the shape of a tooth, changing proportions, repairing an edge or making a small alteration that helps a smile feel more balanced.
And sometimes bonding isn`t used on its own.
We might combine treatments - perhaps straightening teeth first, whitening them and then using composite bonding to refine particular teeth.
Yasmin explains some of the ways composite bonding can be used.
The important part is deciding what will achieve the result you`re looking for without doing more treatment than is necessary.
