A permanent retainer (fixed or bonded retainer) is a thin metal wire cemented to the back surfaces of your teeth, usually the lower front six. This appliance prevents teeth from shifting after orthodontic treatment. Because the wire is fixed, it creates a barrier that makes routine cleaning, especially flossing, significantly more difficult. Overcoming this challenge requires specific tools and techniques to keep the area free of plaque and debris.
Why Cleaning Is Crucial
Neglecting the area around a bonded retainer allows for bacterial colonization and plaque accumulation. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that hardens into calculus (tartar) if not removed daily. Tartar cannot be removed by brushing and attracts more plaque, accelerating buildup. Since the retainer wire sits near the gumline, this buildup often irritates soft tissues, leading to gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease characterized by inflammation and bleeding. Trapped plaque also produces acids that erode tooth enamel, increasing the risk of dental decay on the back surfaces of the teeth.
Essential Tools for Cleaning Behind the Retainer
Because the permanent wire blocks the path of dental floss, special equipment is needed to thread the floss underneath.
Floss Threaders
A floss threader is a small, rigid plastic loop resembling a large needle. You thread standard dental floss through the loop, allowing the stiff end to be guided easily beneath the retainer wire.
Specialized Orthodontic Floss
Specialized orthodontic floss, such as Superfloss, features a stiff, pre-threaded end that eliminates the need for a separate threader. This product includes a spongy, thicker section designed to clean around the wire, followed by a regular section of floss for cleaning the sides of the teeth.
Interdental Brushes
Interdental brushes are small, cone-shaped brushes useful for cleaning the tiny spaces between teeth, especially near the edges of the retainer. They are effective for cleaning the space between the wire and the gumline. These brushes come in various sizes, and finding the correct fit is important for avoiding gum irritation.
Step-by-Step Manual Cleaning Techniques
Manual flossing with a threader or specialized floss must be performed daily. Take approximately 18 inches of floss and thread one end through the eye of the floss threader. Gently pass the rigid end underneath the retainer wire and pull it through until the floss rests between two teeth and under the wire. Wrap the floss around your index fingers for control and slide it toward the gumline. Use a gentle motion, curving the floss into a “C” shape around the side of one tooth. Slide the floss slightly below the gumline to clean the entire surface. Repeat the C-shape motion on the adjacent tooth surface before pulling the floss out. This entire threading process must be repeated for each space between the teeth covered by the permanent retainer wire.
Supplemental Cleaning Methods and Professional Care
Water Flossers
A water flosser (oral irrigator) provides excellent supplementary cleaning. These devices use a pressurized stream of water to dislodge food particles and loose plaque from around the retainer wire and between the teeth. Water flossers are effective for reaching difficult-to-access areas where manual tools may struggle. However, they do not replace the physical scraping action of dental floss necessary to remove sticky plaque and should be used as an addition to the daily manual cleaning routine.
Professional Care
Maintaining regular professional dental hygiene appointments is necessary when you have a bonded retainer. During these visits, the hygienist performs professional scaling to remove any hardened calculus. The dentist or orthodontist will also check the integrity of the retainer, ensuring the bonding material has not broken or come loose, which compromises both tooth alignment and cleaning effectiveness.