Retainers help maintain teeth alignment after orthodontic procedures by helping reduce the shifting of teeth. Every year, millions of Americans rely on retainers after orthodontic care. Braces and other orthodontic procedures are often very costly, so protecting your teeth alignment after changes in alignment is essential. But with so many different retainers, such as Vivera or Essix, how can you tell the difference? And is there really a difference?
What Are Vivera Retainers?
There are several brands of retainers on the market. Invisalign® is one of the most well-known. Vivera® retainers is Invisalign’s line of clear retainers. Align Technology, the parent company of Invisalign®, uses the trade name EX40 for their Vivera® retainers, but it is just another term for the same product. Vivera® retainers are made from methylene diphenyl diisocyanate and 1, 6-hexanediol, or Propylene. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) can be seen here.
Where can I get Vivera Retainers?
We often have customers inquiring about how they can purchase Invisalign® Vivera® retainers. The answer is you can only purchase Vivera® retainers through Invisalign®.
How much does Vivera cost?
The price changes per dental office. We have heard of Upper and Lower Vivera going for $366. You would need to contact your dentist to find their price.
Essix and Essix Plus retainers from SportingSmiles are similar to Vivera retainers but at a fraction of the cost!
But Do I Need a Vivera Retainer?
At SportingSmiles, we do sell retainers but we don’t sell the Invisalign® brand. We use Essix brand material. Essix Plus material comes from a Co-polyester material which is just as effective as Invisalign®. The MSDS for Essix Plus can be seen here.
Vivera and Essix Plus retainers have similar designs and the manufacturing processes are similar. Both require a dental impression of your teeth first. From that impression, technicians create a positive mold of your teeth. The retainer material then thermoforms over the positive mold. After molding, we trim and polish the retainer using a dental handpiece.
So Which is Better?
As there are no resources comparing Invisalign® material and Essix Plus, we cannot say if one is better than the other. What we can say is that they are both high-quality products that have an excellent record of preserving teeth alignment. We have full confidence in the Essix Plus material that we use and the construction of our retainers. We cut out the middlemen and use a less well-known brand of high-quality material. That way we can provide you with retainers guaranteed to preserve your teeth alignment at the lowest possible cost.
Vivera retainers are only available through a dentist who has provided you with Invisalign® treatment. This means that not only are you paying for the brand name, but you also have to pay for dental treatment. At SportingSmiles, we sell directly to customers without the need for a dental visit. This saves both time and money, meaning that you can get the treatment that you need quickly at a price you can afford. You can view our Essix Plus retainer selection here.
