Retainers in Carrollton, TX

Maintaining your beautiful smile!

Why Retainers Are Important

No orthodontic treatment is complete without them!

So you have a beautifully straight smile, and your braces are off! Is that the end of the journey? Not quite.

After each orthodontic treatment … Click to open this link in the same window … , Dr. Chung will fabricate retainers that fit comfortably and function efficiently to keep your beautiful smile in place for a long time!

You might be wondering why you have to wear retainers when you’ve already had orthodontic treatment for months or years? That’s a great question! There are fibers in the gum that are already formed around the teeth in their original position. Retainers keep your teeth in their new position while the surrounding fibers adjust, ensuring a lasting result.

In other words, orthodontic treatment is to move your teeth to a better position, and retainers are to keep them in the final position achieved with orthodontic treatment.

A collage of two circular images of Dr. Sooyoun Chung with her patients and dental assistants in her dental office

Types of Retainers

We’ll help you make the right choice!

There are several different types of retainers, and we’d like to educate you on the pros and cons of each type.

Dr. Sooyoun Chung in the dental office explaining to a man about the types of retainers
  • Hawley Retainers

    Hawley retainers are the traditional retainers composed of wires in the front of teeth and pink acrylic on the inside of the mouth. They are superior in their strength and longevity, but they may allow minor front teeth alignment … Click to open this link in the same window … to shift even with good compliance.

  • Clear Retainers
    Clear retainers are transparent, and other people may not notice you’re wearing one when you smile. Like Hawley retainers, they’re removable. They are esthetic and great at keeping front teeth straighter since they wrap around the teeth 360 degrees, but they are not as durable as Hawley retainers, needing to be replaced roughly every two years.
  • Fixed Retainers
    Fixed retainers are a piece of flat braided wire bonded on the backside of your four to six front teeth. When you initially have severely misaligned front teeth or have periodontally weak teeth, fixed retainers are a great choice. They’re great at keeping teeth straighter, but flossing can be a hassle. Also, you need to be careful about what and how you eat to avoid damaging the wire itself or the bonding failure, which may allow teeth to shift without knowing.

Recommended Retainer Care

How to make sure your retainer lasts a long time.

There are several steps you can take to ensure that your retainer is as effective as possible and you won’t need to replace it.

  • Wear your retainer full-time for the first three months, and then wear them only at night time
  • Rinse your retainers when you take them out from your mouth under running water
  • Brush your retainers after you brush your teeth with the remaining toothpaste
  • Keep your retainers in your case and away from heat or your pet
  • If you notice a loose fit, cracks, or holes, call to have new retainers made

Dr. Chung … Click to open this link in the same window … will recommend the type of retainers that are best for you at the end of the orthodontic treatment to ensure great results and also your dental health and lifestyle.

Dr. Sooyoun Chung and one of her assistants reviewing her patients' notes on her computer

Retainer Insurance Program

Never lose your smile!
One of our receptionists greeting one of our patients who is coming into the Prime Orthodontics dental office

We offer an in-house insurance program called the “Smile Protection Program” to help patients keep their beautiful smile forever. Here are the benefits:

  • You can enroll in the program either at the beginning or at the end of the treatment with a down payment
  • We will 3D scan your final teeth and keep the file in the office
  • We can fabricate your retainers from the 3D-printed models without you coming to the office
  • With a low copay, you are allowed up to four retainers a year for five years
  • This program is renewable!

Dr. Chung will happily discuss how a minor misalignment can be corrected if that is observed.

Get Started at Prime Orthodontics

Where the primary concern is you and your smile.

Your First Visit
Business Hours:
Monday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday: Closed