Retainers

By: Suniti Upadhyay
(Dental Assistant)
3/4/2013

Introduction:
Retainers are custom-made devices, made usually of wires or clear plastic, that hold teeth in position after surgery or any method of realigning teeth. Retainer is fabricated after removal of brackets and bands .

There are two kinds of retainers..
- removable also called as Hawley and
- fixed also called as Lingual retainer

Removable:
It is called as Hawley and is formed with an 0.030" cuspid to cuspid archwire that incorporates adjustment loops as it crosses the occlusion and is anchored into an acrylic plate.

Fixed:
Fixed are the lingual retainers and are formed with a 0.032" wire contoured to the linguals of the teeth.

Purpose:
It's purpose is to prevent relapse of teeth.

Required Instruments:
- Basic
- high speed
- low speed
- high volume evacuator(HVE)
- saliva suction
-3 way syringe-
-Pumice powder
-resin composite
- bond
-light cure
- one 2/2
- 2-3 cotton rolls
- Polishing cup
- 3 prong pliers
-arch contouring pliers
- Large wire cutter
-Bracket/band remover
-0.032" twisted wires
-Cord packer and Burnisher
-Cavitron, prophy cup and paste
-Alginate and trays are needed if Hawley appliance is to be done

Procedure:

1.After the removal of brackets and bands remove the adhesive on teeth surfaces with high speed along with HVE in use. Use pumice powder to clean the surfaces effeciently. Do the regular scalling before applying the appliance

2. Measure and cut the wire.Then bend the wire with three prong pliers and use contouring pliers to contour the arch .

3. Apply acid etch in the middle of the selected teeth above the Cingulum. Rinse the etch and use HVE for suction.

4. Air dry using 3 way syringe and still is a good idea to use HVE or Saliva suction when air is blown. Now pass two cotton rolls and place it on the lingual side to keep the working area dry.

5. Apply bond material to the area that was acid etched, air blow and light cure the bond on each tooth for 10 seconds.

6. Place the twisted measured wire on bonded surface of the selected teeth, then glue the twist wire on bonded place with resin composite.Use burnisher or cord packer to shape the composite and apply some amount of bond on the tips of both the cord packer and the burnisher before passing it . Also pass 2/2 inbetween periods to clean the tips of both the instruments.

7. Light cure the composite for about 20-30 seconds. Use the explorer to check if hardened or not. If not light cure as needed.

8. Use the polishing cup to smoothen the composite applied surface using irrigation and saliva suction.

9.Finally rinse the mouth and wipe the patient's face and then escort him/ her to the outside office.

Xin Wei, DDS, PhD, MS 1st edition 03/02/2013, last revision 03/04/2013