British Orthodontic Society's initiative on orthodontic retention, A GDP's perspective

The British Orthodontic Society (BOS) recently published a number of news articles aimed at drawing attention to its 'Hold that Smile' campaign which promotes lifelong retainer wear. The BOS's stated intention is to 'generate a viral # HoldthatSmile campaign in order to build awareness of its message that retainers are for life'. The campaign also seeks to recruit the support of GDPs and DCPs, including nurses, in motivating patients to wear retainers for life. It suggests that orthodontists and GDPs need to work collaboratively and suggests that dentists would need to check patients are taking care of their retainers over the long term. This article discusses a number of aspects of the BOS's initiative on retention including the public campaign, the evidence base, long-term retention care, retrospective support, the impact on consent, considerations for GDPs and record-keeping with suggestions on improving long-term support for patients.