Retainer Instructions

• Wear your retainers exactly as Dr. Okun has instructed. Some retainers are worn full time, others only at night.
• If you have been instructed to take your retainers out when eating, always put the retainers in their case! Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants when they are wrapped in tissues and napkins. (Never wrap your retainers in a napkin, tissue or paper towel. It will look like trash and be thrown out in error.) When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case. Keep the case in a safe place.
• Clean retainers thoroughly at least once a day with a toothbrush. Use warm, but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque and eliminates odors. Efferdent or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used, but they do not take the place of brushing. Make sure to rinse the cleaners thoroughly from the retainer since a residue can damage your teeth.
• Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud to get used to them more quickly.
• Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken, we should replace them as soon as possible so that your teeth do not move. Call the office during working hours to schedule an appointment to get a new retainer.
• If you have any questions or concerns about your retainers, or if your retainers need adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust them yourself.
• Always bring your retainers to your appointments.
• Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, small children, and pets. Heat will distort them.
• With proper care, retainers can last for years!

Expander Instructions

• If an expander becomes loose, discontinue turning the appliance until the expander has been repaired. Sticky foods and hard foods that are not cut thin are usually the cause of a loose expander. Call the office to schedule an appointment to have the appliance repaired.
• Forcing a headgear in and out of the molar tubes will also make the bands come loose. Call us if you are having problems placing or removing your headgear.
• Be sure not to eat seeds or popcorn when wearing a palatal expander. They can get caught above the plastic and cause painful ulcers.
• Note that the video below shows the key being opened from front to back, ending above the tongue. The expanders that Dr. Okun uses usually open from back to front. After putting the string over your wrist place the key in the back hole, and bring it forward to the front teeth. Remove the key from the front position. If you are having problems finding the next hole, go into the front hole again and make sure that the key is pushed all the way forward to the front teeth. Then try again to find the back hole.

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