Many children that start off with braces often transition into wearing retainers once their braces have been removed. This is done to maintain the alignment and correction accomplished with braces. Retainers offer much more flexibility, since they can be removed and replaced without the help of a dentist or orthodontist. However, it can be easy for your child to forget to reinsert their retainers. Extended periods of not wearing their retainers can cause your child's teeth to slowly move out of position. When your child goes to school, it is difficult to watch their every move to ensure that they have their dental device in their mouth at all times. Fortunately, there are a few tips that you can use to help remind your child to wear their retainers while at school.

Attach a Note to Their Lunch or Snack Box

Notes are a fun way to communicate with your child when they are away from home. You can use this technique to remind your child to reinsert their retainer after eating. Simply attach the note to their lunch or their snack bag. Try to write the reminder on a sturdy material like a note card so that they will not easily overlook your note. When they go to enjoy their lunch, they will find the note and should be able to remember to wear their retainers once their meal is over.

Instruct You Child to Store Their Retainers in the Same Place

Wearing retainers is similar to wearing glasses. It plays a huge role in how you will be able to function during the day. Like glasses, your child's retainers can easily be misplaced. If your child is running late for school, they may not have time to look for the retainers and may forget where they last placed them. In order to prevent this, instruct your child to keep their retainers in the same place every morning. If your child sets their backpack out in the living to prepare for the next school day, then a retainer case should be positioned nearby. Then, when it is time to leave, they will take their retainer case along with them so that they will have somewhere safe to put their retainers when they take them out at lunch. 

As your child gets better at remembering to wear their retainers to school, you will not have to remind them as often. Until that happens, use these tips to help keep your child's teeth on track.  

For more info, talk to your child's orthodontist or dentist.