As rewarding as it can be to successfully treat children for dental and orthodontic issues, said children aren’t always the most cooperative patients -- especially when it comes to continue proper use of their oral appliances. Retainers get lost, neglected, broken, or simply not worn.

As a dentist or orthodontist, you can’t realistically police your young patients to make sure they follow all of your instructions to the letter, but there are things you can do to increase appliance retention. One simple and easy method? Give your patient (or their parents) a call a week after fitting them with the appliance. Ask if the child is wearing their appliance according to your instructions, remind them of how to clean the appliance, and ask if there are any challenges or issues. Oftentimes, this simple reminder can be just the incentive your patient needs to stay on track. Also, you might learn of issues, like poor fit, that are causing the patient to be non-compliant -- something your patient would likely never have told you on their own.

Too busy to pick up the phone and call?  Assign your administrative assistant to make follow-up calls. Chances are, you’ll see better appliance retention rates, even among your typically least compliant patients.