Retainers pick up your scent through regular wear, which is part of why dogs are drawn to them. If your dog has gotten hold of your retainer, take the following steps.
- Check on your dog first. A small piece of retainer plastic is not typically a medical emergency for most dogs. If your dog has swallowed a large piece, is choking, vomiting, or appears unwell, contact your veterinarian or an emergency veterinary clinic promptly.
- Do not wear a chewed retainer. Even if most of the retainer is intact, chewed edges can be sharp enough to cut your gums or cheek, and a warped retainer can place uneven pressure on your teeth. Set the retainer aside rather than forcing it back into place.
- Contact our office as soon as possible. The sooner we know, the sooner we can get a replacement retainer started. Call us at (506) 633-0555 to let us know what happened.
- Wear a spare retainer if you have one. If you were given a spare retainer, or if you kept the final aligners from the end of your treatment, wear those in the interim to hold your teeth in place until your new retainer is ready.
Storing your retainer in its case whenever it is not in your mouth, rather than on a nightstand, bathroom counter, or napkin at the dinner table, prevents most incidents of this kind.
To begin a replacement retainer, call our office at (506) 633-0555.
I am Dr. MacKenzie, an orthodontist with over 20 years of experience serving Saint John, the Rothesay and Quispamsis area, and Charlotte County, New Brunswick. I have offices in uptown Saint John, Rothesay, and St. Stephen. To schedule a free consultation, visit our free consult page.
For more on this, visit our Orthodontic Retainers page.