Lower fixed retainer
The commonest choice. Lower incisors are small, close together and the most likely teeth in the mouth to re-crowd.
£450
Orthodontics · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Fixed retainers in Marylebone: a bonded wire that keeps straightened teeth where they are
Teeth have long memories. After braces or aligners the fibres and bone around each root take months to settle, and even years later teeth continue to creep, particularly the lower front six. A fixed retainer is a fine wire bonded to the tongue-side of those teeth so that they are held together without any effort on your part. It is invisible from the front, cannot be forgotten in a hotel bathroom and is the usual recommendation for anyone whose lower incisors were crowded before treatment. At Wimpole Street a fixed retainer will be £450 per arch, £900 for both, and re-bonding a section that comes loose is £50. This page covers who it suits, how it is fitted, how to keep it clean and what can go wrong.
- £450 per arch
- Fitted in about 30 minutes
- Re-bond £50
Suitability
Is it right for you?
A good fit when
- Anyone finishing braces or aligners whose lower front teeth were crowded or rotated beforehand.
- Patients who have already lost or stopped wearing a removable retainer and noticed movement.
- People who travel constantly or work shifts and are honest that a nightly routine will not stick.
- Teeth that were moved to close a gap, which is one of the movements most prone to reopening.
- Someone who wants belt and braces: a fixed wire plus a removable retainer over the top at night.
Think twice, or choose another route, when
- Teeth with active gum disease or heavy tartar, which need treating before anything is bonded to them.
- A very deep bite where the upper teeth strike the wire; an upper fixed retainer is often not possible in this situation.
- Patients who struggle to clean around anything fixed; a wire that is never flossed under collects tartar.
- Front teeth with large fillings or crowns on the inner surface, where bonding is unreliable.
- Anyone expecting the wire to move teeth back; a retainer holds, it does not correct.
The process
How it works at Wimpole Street
- 01
Assessment
The dentist checks the bite and the inner surfaces of the front teeth, confirms the gums are healthy and decides whether one or both arches should be wired. If teeth have already drifted, a short course of aligners may be suggested first.
- 02
Cleaning the surfaces
The inner enamel of the six front teeth is polished and then etched with a mild gel so the composite can grip. The teeth are kept dry with cotton rolls or a small rubber sheet.
- 03
Shaping the wire
A thin multi-strand wire is bent to follow the curve of the teeth from canine to canine and checked so that it sits passively, applying no force of its own.
- 04
Bonding
A small pad of tooth-coloured composite is placed over the wire on each tooth and set with a curing light. The whole fitting takes around half an hour and needs no anaesthetic.
- 05
Finishing and instructions
The bite is checked so the upper teeth do not catch the wire, rough edges are smoothed and you are shown how to floss beneath it before leaving.
Choices
Options & materials
Upper fixed retainer
Useful after gap closure or rotation of upper front teeth, provided the bite leaves room for the wire.
£450
Both arches
Fitted at the same visit when both arches were treated and both carry relapse risk.
£900
Re-bond
One or two pads have come away but the wire is intact and undistorted. Cleaned and re-attached in a short appointment.
£50
Fees
What it costs
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
Fixed retainer, one arch Wire bonded canine to canine, fitting and instructions. | £450 |
Fixed retainer, both arches Upper and lower fitted at one visit. | £900 |
Re-bonding a loose section Where the wire is undamaged. | £50 |
Hygiene visit Advised every six months; tartar collects readily around a wire. | £89 |
Indicative Wimpole Street fees, the same as at South Kensington and St Paul's. A written plan with the exact figure is agreed before anything is started.
Outcomes
What the result looks like
Immediately after fitting the tongue notices the wire, and for a day or two speech may feel slightly different; within a week most people forget it is there. From the front nothing is visible, and the teeth stay exactly as the orthodontic treatment left them for as long as the wire remains bonded and intact.
Bonded retainers routinely last five to ten years, sometimes far longer, but they are not indefinite. Pads detach, wires occasionally fracture, and a small number of retainers distort and begin to move a tooth rather than hold it. Regular examinations pick these problems up while they are still cheap to fix.
Afterwards
Looking after the result
- Avoid biting straight into very hard or sticky foods with the front teeth; cut apples and crusts rather than tearing them.
- Floss under the wire daily with a threader, a small interdental brush or a water flosser.
- Feel along the wire with your tongue occasionally; a pad that has come loose is felt before it is seen.
- Keep any removable retainer you were given and wear it at night as instructed, especially if the fixed wire ever breaks.
- Attend six-monthly examinations and hygiene visits so tartar behind the wire is removed and the bonding checked.
Informed consent
Risks and honest limitations
Every treatment has trade-offs. These are the ones we discuss at the consultation so that a decision is made with full information rather than after the fact.
- Debonding. A pad detaches in a proportion of patients each year; the tooth can begin to move within days if it is not re-attached.
- Wire fracture, which may leave a sharp end and requires a replacement rather than a re-bond.
- Unwanted tooth movement from a wire that has been bent or has become active, occasionally tipping a single tooth out of line.
- Tartar and gum inflammation around the wire when cleaning beneath it is neglected.
- Decalcification or decay at the margins of a pad where plaque sits undisturbed.
- A fixed retainer holds only the teeth it is bonded to; teeth further back are not protected.
FAQ
Questions patients ask
Indefinitely, provided it remains intact and clean. Many are still in place after ten years. It is checked at each examination and replaced if it fails.
Often, yes, particularly for the lower arch. Some dentists recommend both: the wire for continuous hold and a removable retainer at night as insurance in case a pad detaches unnoticed.
Book a re-bond promptly; it is £50 if the wire is undamaged. In the meantime wear your removable retainer if you have one, as a tooth can begin to move quickly.
No. Nothing is drilled and no anaesthetic is needed. The enamel is polished and etched, the wire is bonded and the appointment is over in about half an hour.
Yes, as long as the teeth are still reasonably aligned and the gums are healthy. If drifting has already happened, a short aligner course may be advised before the wire goes on.
Yes, at South Kensington or St Paul’s now at the same fee, with follow-up checks in Marylebone from 1 October 2026.
Keep reading
Related treatments and guides
Marylebone, W1
Fixed retainer at Wimpole Street from 1 October 2026
Register your interest and we will contact you as soon as the Marylebone diary is live. If you would rather start sooner, the same clinicians already see patients in South Kensington and at St Paul’s.
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
