Permanent Retainers: Pros, Cons and How to Care for a Bonded Wire

After clear aligner treatment, you'll need a retainer to keep your teeth from drifting back. One option is a permanent retainer — a thin wire bonded to the back of your front teeth. It works around the clock without you having to remember it, but it comes with its own care routine.

A bonded retainer is a thin, often braided wire shaped to follow the inside of your front teeth and attached to each tooth with small spots of tooth-colored composite. It's usually placed on the lower front teeth, the upper front teeth, or both. It's invisible from the front.

• It's always working — there's nothing to forget at night.
• It's especially helpful where teeth are most prone to shifting, such as closed gaps or previously crowded lower front teeth.
• It can't be lost, thrown away or chewed by the dog.

• Flossing takes more effort, since floss can't pass straight down between bonded teeth.
• Plaque and tartar can build up along the wire if cleaning is rushed.
• The wire or a bond can break without you noticing, allowing a tooth to shift.
• It only holds the teeth it's attached to; the rest of your teeth still need a removable retainer.

A common approach is a bonded wire behind the front teeth plus a clear removable retainer worn at night. The wire protects the teeth most likely to move; the removable retainer holds everything else and acts as a backup if a bond fails.

• Use a floss threader or pre-threaded floss to pass floss under the wire between each pair of teeth.
• Small interdental brushes work well for cleaning under the wire.
• A water flosser helps flush debris, though it doesn't replace floss entirely.
• Keep your regular cleaning appointments so tartar along the wire is removed.

Run your tongue along the wire occasionally. If it feels loose, sharp or detached at any tooth, call your provider soon — a partly detached wire can allow the free tooth to move. Wear your removable retainer in the meantime if you have one.

Bonded retainers can stay in place for years, but they're not maintenance-free, and repairs or replacements are common over a lifetime. Your provider will check it at your regular visits.

Ask your Infinity Aligner certified provider whether a bonded retainer, a removable one or a combination is the best fit for your teeth.