Retainers: Bonded or Removable, Charge or No Charge, Dealing with Relapse

You would think with all the brilliant minds in orthodontics we would have solved the age-old dilemma of preventing post-treatment relapse. Well, we haven’t yet done so. This lecture will discuss why retention is so important and various philosophies regarding relapse control. A review of the different methods of retention, their pros and cons, and how to implement each in your practice will be discussed. We will also discuss some new methods along with others on the horizon.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify why retainers are critical to successful orthodontic treatment.
• Discuss the benefits of different methods of retention.
• Distinguish when it is appropriate to make new retainers and how to charge for them.