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Orthodontics · Retention
Vivera™ retainers are clear, removable and made by Align Technology to an iTero™ scan of your teeth; each arch comes as three identical sets. Here they are £325 for a single arch and £495 for upper and lower together. One scan visit and one short fitting. Anyone can have them made; previous Invisalign® treatment, with us or elsewhere, is not a requirement.
Guide fee
£325 one arch · £495 both
Supplied as
Three sets per arch
Made from
An iTero scan, no impression
With
Our Invisalign-trained dentists
Who it is for
Teeth settle for months after any orthodontic treatment and will drift back without support. A retainer made from a scan taken on the day the last aligner or brace comes off holds the new position from the start.
A lost retainer is the most common reason teeth move after treatment. With three sets in the box there is always a spare, and because the scan is kept on file a replacement can be ordered without starting again.
You do not need to have been straightened by us. If you finished treatment at another practice, or years ago, and want retainers that fit well, we scan your teeth as they are now and order Vivera from that.
Vivera is made from a thicker, more durable material than a standard Essix retainer, so it resists cracking and clouding for longer. For people who have already worn through several thin retainers, that durability is the point.
The difference
The iTero scanner captures your teeth in minutes, with no putty involved. The retainer is manufactured against that digital model, so it seats fully, feels even across the arch and does not rely on a stone cast that can distort.
Each arch comes with three identical retainers. You wear one, keep two in reserve and move on to the next when the first shows wear. Three sets usually cover several years of nightly use before anything needs reordering.
Vivera is manufactured by Align Technology, so it uses the same scanning and modelling route as Invisalign itself. For patients finishing Invisalign here, the retainer is simply the next file in the same digital record.
When the retainers arrive we check each one seats correctly, adjust any edge that needs it and go through how often to wear them. If a tooth has moved since the scan, we catch it there rather than after the fact.
The process
We take an iTero scan of one or both arches and check that the teeth and gums are in good order. If you have an existing retainer or a fixed wire, bring it, so we can plan around it.
The scan is sent to Align Technology, where the retainers are made from the digital model and trimmed to the gum line. They are returned to the practice in a case of three per arch.
You try each retainer with your dentist, who checks the fit and the bite and shows you how to insert, remove and clean them. You leave with written wear instructions and all three sets.
Your scan stays on file. When the third set has worn, or your dentist advises a fresh scan because the teeth have changed slightly, a new order is placed without repeating the whole process.
Afterwards
Wear your retainers exactly as prescribed, usually full time at first after treatment and then every night. Rinse them in cool water, brush them gently without toothpaste and keep them in their case when they are out. Hot water will warp them. Bring your retainers along to each check-up so the fit can be looked at, and let us know straight away if one splits.
Guide fees
Guide fees. Nothing is started until your plan, with every fee written down, is in your hands. See all fees
Good to know
At Sardinia House in Holborn, Vivera retainers are £325 for one arch and £495 for both arches. Each price covers three sets of retainers for that arch, and your written plan confirms the exact fee before we order. They are included at no extra charge for patients completing Invisalign with us.
Yes. Vivera retainers can be ordered for anyone whose teeth are already straight, whether treatment was with another practice, with braces rather than aligners, or many years ago. We scan your teeth as they are today and the retainers are made to hold that position.
Both are clear and removable. Essix retainers are made in a laboratory from a thinner sheet of plastic and tend to crack or cloud sooner. Vivera uses a thicker, more durable material and is made by Align from a digital scan, and comes as three sets rather than one.
They do different jobs. A fixed wire bonded behind the front teeth works without any effort from you but needs careful cleaning and can come loose. A removable retainer protects the whole arch and is easier to clean around. Many patients have both, and we advise on the combination that suits you.
Worn nightly and cared for properly, each set can be expected to last considerably longer than a standard thin retainer. With three sets per arch, most people go several years before they need to reorder. Grinding, hot water and rough handling shorten the life of any retainer.
The scan takes a few minutes at your first visit. The retainers are then manufactured by Align Technology and returned to the practice, usually within a few weeks, and we fit them at a second short appointment. We will give you a date when the order is placed.
A well-fitting retainer feels snug for the first few nights and then becomes unnoticeable. Mild tightness after a night off is normal and means the retainer is doing its job. Daytime wear can make your speech sound a touch different for the first day or so.
There is no end date: wear them for as long as you want the result to hold. Full-time wear for the first few months gives way to nights only, and that is the routine for life. Teeth drift at any age, and retention is the only reliable way to prevent it.
Your teeth begin to move back towards where they started, slowly at first and often noticeably within a year. A retainer that no longer fits comfortably is a sign that movement has already begun. Caught early, a short course of aligners can usually correct it; left longer, it may mean treatment again.
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