Fix a retainer
How to Fix a Retainer (Without Making It Worse)
Searching for how to fix a retainer usually means a wire snapped or the acrylic cracked. Home fixes tend to make a repair harder. Here is what actually works, and how to get your retainer fixed by mail.
Why home fixes backfire
- Super glue and epoxy are not made for the mouth, leave rough edges, and coat the break so a proper acrylic repair cannot bond well.
- Bending wires with pliers work-hardens the stainless steel; the next bend often snaps it completely.
- Boiling or heating can warp acrylic and clear plastic.
What a professional fix involves
Broken stainless steel wires are joined with laser welding, which puts a small, focused heat zone on the wire without overheating the nearby acrylic. Wires that pulled out are re-seated, and cracked or snapped acrylic is rebuilt with new acrylic and polished. After repair the wire is adjusted to its most passive position. See specific fixes: broken wire, broken clasp, cracked acrylic.
What we cannot fix
Cracked clear retainers, bonded retainers, lost retainers, or retainers that no longer fit. For those, your dentist or orthodontist is the right place. Not sure? Read repair vs replacement.
How mail-in retainer repair works
- Photo: text a clear photo to 657-566-1558 or email smilextechnologies@gmail.com (front, back, close-up of the damage).
- Quote: we tell you whether it can be repaired and which package fits.
- Pay: pay the PayPal invoice.
- Labels: we email a prepaid UPS label. Ship it with no signature required.
- Repair: laser welding and acrylic work, 7–12 business days.
- Return: it ships back with UPS tracking.
Full details: how it works.
Prices
Each package includes the repair plus prepaid UPS shipping both ways:
- Option 1: $99.35 (UPS Ground Saver)
- Option 2: $109.50 (UPS 3 Day)
- Option 3: $119.50 (UPS 2 Day Evening)
- Option 4: $125.50 (UPS 2 Day)
- Option 5: $155 Premium Repair Bundle (adds an ultrasonic cleaner)
Two retainers sent together have dual repair prices. Repair turnaround is 7–12 business days after we receive it, not counting shipping.
Smile Extension is a laser welding / technical repair service, not a dental provider. If something is painful, injured, or your bite has changed, contact your dentist or orthodontist first. We did not make your appliance, so repairs are provided as-is with no promise of fit.
Quick answers
Can I fix my retainer myself?
We do not recommend it. Glue, heat, and bending usually make a professional repair harder. Keep the pieces and send a photo instead.
Who can fix a retainer by mail?
Smile Extension repairs removable Hawley and acrylic retainers by mail across the United States, with prepaid UPS labels both ways.
How much does it cost to fix a retainer?
$99.35 to $155 including repair and shipping both ways. Two retainers sent together use our dual repair prices.
How long does it take to fix a retainer?
7–12 business days after we receive it, plus shipping.
Related repair guides
Broken retainer?
Send a photo — we confirm the repair before you pay or ship.