PEARL Easy-to-Bond Lower Lingual Retainer

Here is a simple and accurate chairside procedure for bonding a lower lingual retainer.

1. Fabricate a lower 3-3 or 4-4 retainer on the mandibular working cast (Fig. A).

2. Cut five or six small pieces of elastomeric chain, each with at least four rings. Slide each segment between the teeth to be bonded, with one ring extending lingually and the other three labially (Fig. B).

3. Slip the lingual retainer wire through the lingual rings, pull the chain segments from the labial side so the wire closely approximates the tooth surfaces, and engage the labial rings over the brackets to keep the wire taut (Fig. C).

4. Etch the lingual tooth surfaces, and bond the retainer as usual (Fig. D, [img=E]Fig. E