Approximately every six months. Thermoformed retainers wear, distort and lose their fit with nightly use, and a worn retainer holds less reliably than a new one. Replacement on schedule is also a condition of the guarantee.
Two packs and three packs are available. Refer to the current price list for laboratory costs.
Around five to seven business days from receipt of the scan, plus transit.
Retainer replacement is the step patients skip, and it is the step that voids the guarantee. Treat it as a recall item with a booked appointment rather than something the patient is expected to remember and request. Practices that book the next retention visit before the patient leaves have materially better retention compliance.
Tip: Combine retainer replacement with the six monthly scale and clean, and take updated scans at the same visit.
If this article did not resolve your question, your practice manager is your first point of contact for case and product support. For anything that needs a tracked outcome, start a chat with the OneSmile Concierge using the chat button on this page. Include the patient name, the case number and the current aligner number so it can be actioned without a follow-up question.