The other day, a young man (we’ll call him “Tim”) came into our office with his mom, and sat down in the treatment chair, while mom sat across from him on the bench. This was a “retainer check” appointment. When I walked over to his chair, I could tell neither of them was very happy. Apparently, Tim had not been wearing his retainer, so it no longer fit. I looked in his mouth and sure enough, the reason for the poor-fitting retainer was clearly evident. His teeth would require orthodontic treatment again to fix the problem. Does this story sound familiar?
Studies show that 20-25% of patients who complete orthodontic treatment don’t wear their retainers as prescribed. That’s a lot of wasted money! We don’t like seeing this any more than you do! In my years as an orthodontist, I’ve learned that there are several reasons why some people struggle with retainers in general. Here are a few:
-This retainer is uncomfortable.
-I talk funny when I wear them.
-I don’t like the way the wire goes across my front teeth.
-I don’t want to take the time to get a new one.
-I don’t want to spend the money on a new one.
-My dog ate my retainer…
And the list goes on. So, we’ve been thinking and talking in the office recently; what could we do to ease the challenge of keeping teeth straight for a lifetime? How could we make retainer wear as comfortable, convenient, affordable and simple as possible?
I’m excited to announce that we’ve come up with a great idea that we believe is the answer to resolving the famous retainer struggles, except for the one, “My dog ate my retainer.” Unfortunately, we can’t help you with that!
Over the next month, we’ll be rolling out this new lifetime retention program for all new patients who start treatment and all existing patients currently in comprehensive treatment. We really want to offer the best way possible to protect your investment. We’ll be sharing more details in our blogs, emails, social media and office displays in the coming weeks, and plan to begin offering this program by mid-March. Until then…
Keep Smiling,
Dr. Coleman