Retainers in Drumbrae at a Glance
| Nearest practice listing retainers | Sunrise Dental Clinic I Award Winning Paediatric I Orthodontic I Implant & Smile Design Clinic, Colinton — under a mile; 2 within 10 miles |
|---|---|
| Nearest practice with emergency care | Sunrise Dental Clinic I Award Winning Paediatric I Orthodontic I Implant & Smile Design Clinic, Colinton — under a mile |
| Nearest practice open evenings or weekends | None within 30 miles on our register |
| Practices on our register | 102 within 5 miles, 160 within 10, 248 within 20 |
| Area type (ONS) | Large Urban Areas |
| Deprivation | Less deprived than most of Scotland |
Sources: Census 2021 (NOMIS), DfE Get Information About Schools, ONS geography, UK NHS dental charge schedules and our orthodontic practice register. Distances are straight-line.
Practices near Drumbrae listing retainers
On our practice register: 102 practices within 5 miles of Drumbrae, 160 practices within 10 and 248 practices within 20. The closest is 9 BUGHTLIN MARKET in Cramond Bridge, 0.2 miles north-west. The nearest listing retainers is Sunrise Dental Clinic I Award Winning Paediatric I Orthodontic I Implant & Smile Design Clinic, 0.9 miles south-east.
| Practice | Distance | Retainers | Emergency care | Evenings or weekends | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Dental Clinic I Award Winning Paediatric I Orthodontic I Implant & Smile Design ClinicColinton | 0.9 miles south-east | ✓ | ✓ | – | 4.9 (219 reviews) |
| Ardmillan Orthodontics LtdEdinburgh | 3.0 miles east | ✓ | – | – | 4.5 (68 reviews) |
✓ listed in the practice's own information; – not mentioned, which doesn't mean not offered. Straight-line distances.
Nearest places to Drumbrae with practices listing retainers
The closest town with practices listing retainers is Colinton, 0.9 miles south-east; the next are Edinburgh (3.0 miles east).
Counted from the practices on our register around this place, nearest first. Straight-line distances.
Best-reviewed practices within 20 miles of Drumbrae
Of the practices within 20 miles with at least 10 Google reviews, the highest rated is Sunrise Dental Clinic I Award Winning Paediatric I Orthodontic I Implant & Smile Design Clinic in Colinton (4.9 from 219 reviews), 0.9 miles south-east.
| Practice | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Dental Clinic I Award Winning Paediatric I Orthodontic I Implant & Smile Design ClinicColinton | 4.9 (219 reviews) | 0.9 miles south-east |
| Ardmillan Orthodontics LtdEdinburgh | 4.5 (68 reviews) | 3.0 miles east |
Ratings are each practice's public Google review average and say nothing about clinical quality. Straight-line distances.
Retainers near Drumbrae
| What you may need | Look for | Nearest listing it | Next nearest | Within 20 miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retainers | retainers | Sunrise Dental Clinic I Award Winning Paediatric I Orthodontic I Implant & Smile Design Clinic, Colinton (under a mile) | Ardmillan Orthodontics Ltd (3 miles) | 2 |
| Urgent repairs | emergency care | Sunrise Dental Clinic I Award Winning Paediatric I Orthodontic I Implant & Smile Design Clinic, Colinton (under a mile) | none other | 1 |
| Visits outside working hours | evening or weekend opening | not mentioned nearby | none other | 0 |
| A fresh scan for a new retainer | digital scanning | Sunrise Dental Clinic I Award Winning Paediatric I Orthodontic I Implant & Smile Design Clinic, Colinton (under a mile) | Ardmillan Orthodontics Ltd (3 miles) | 2 |
Built from what each practice's own published information mentions, so a missing entry means not mentioned, which does not mean not offered. Straight-line distances.
The result you paid for is only as durable as your commitment to retainers. During the months of remodelling, retainers hold the teeth precisely where treatment left them. How diligently they're worn is what determines how long your Drumbrae treatment result lasts.
Retainer Services in Drumbrae
What's available in Drumbrae depends on the practice, so it's worth checking directly what each one offers. Drumbrae is classified as large Urban Areas, and NHS dental commissioning here falls under NHS Lothian. With 97 orthodontic practices within five miles, Drumbrae is better served than 95% of towns in Scotland. By national deprivation ranking, Drumbrae sits among the less deprived areas of Scotland. Complex cases can be referred to a hospital orthodontic department; the nearest university dental hospital to Drumbrae is Dundee Dental Hospital in Dundee, about 37 miles away. See local practice availability in Drumbrae → They typically offer retainer fitting, replacement, and emergency repair appointments.
Private replacement Essix retainers (per arch) costs in Drumbrae generally sit between £80 and £150. Most practices can fabricate a replacement from a new scan or impression within a few working days. If you have moved away from your original treating practice, any orthodontic or dental practice in Drumbrae can usually provide replacement retainers.
Replacing and Maintaining Retainers in Drumbrae
Essix retainers need replacing every one to three years on average — heat from dishwashers, hot drinks or a hot car warps the plastic. Clean them with a soft brush and cold water, never abrasive toothpaste, and use cleaning tablets occasionally.
A fixed wire can debond without you noticing, so regular check-ups in Drumbrae matter — an unrepaired wire lets a tooth move independently and misalignment can appear within weeks.
How Long Is Retention?
The current standard is to keep wearing removable retainers indefinitely, tapering from full-time to nights only. Abandoning them after a couple of years — once routine advice — is now recognised as a leading cause of relapse.
Because a fixed retainer removes the compliance question entirely, it's the surest safeguard against long-term drift.
If a removable retainer stops fitting after a gap in wear, don't force it — contact your orthodontist. A new retainer, or occasionally a short retreatment, is far cheaper than letting relapse set in.
After Your Braces Come Off in Drumbrae
When braces come off or aligner treatment completes in Drumbrae, protecting the result begins. Many patients are surprised how much goes into keeping teeth exactly where treatment left them. Below we walk through the de-bond, retainers, whitening timing and long-term check-ups.
Ongoing Check-ups After Treatment
Routine 6-monthly dental check-ups remain important after orthodontic treatment. Your dentist will check fixed retainer integrity, gum health around bonded wires, removable retainer fit, and early signs of tooth movement. Contact your orthodontist promptly if: your removable retainer no longer fits easily, a fixed retainer wire appears to have moved, or you notice teeth changing position.
Frequently Asked Questions — Retainers in Drumbrae
Where is the nearest orthodontist to Drumbrae?
On our register, the nearest orthodontic practice to Drumbrae is 9 BUGHTLIN MARKET in Cramond Bridge, about 0.2 miles to the north-west. The next closest are 176-178 ST JOHN'S ROAD (0.6 miles) and BARNTON DENTAL (0.8 miles).
How many orthodontic practices are near Drumbrae?
Our register has 102 practices within 5 miles of Drumbrae, 160 practices within 10 miles and 248 practices within 20 miles.
Where can I get a retainer near Drumbrae?
The nearest practice to Drumbrae that lists retainers is Sunrise Dental Clinic I Award Winning Paediatric I Orthodontic I Implant & Smile Design Clinic in Colinton, about 0.9 miles to the south-east. Others nearby include Ardmillan Orthodontics Ltd (3.0 miles).
Which NHS body covers Drumbrae for dental care?
NHS dental commissioning in Drumbrae falls under NHS Lothian.
What kind of area is Drumbrae?
ONS classifies Drumbrae as large Urban Areas.
How deprived is Drumbrae compared with the rest of Scotland?
By the national deprivation index, Drumbrae is less deprived than most of Scotland. It doesn't affect NHS orthodontic eligibility, which is decided on clinical need alone.
Which towns are close to Drumbrae?
Nearby towns include Clermiston, The Gyle, East Craigs.
Can I get retainers without having had braces?
Retainers hold teeth in position but don't move them, so they're only useful once teeth are already well-aligned. If your teeth are naturally straight and you simply want to prevent age-related drift, a dentist can discuss whether retainers are appropriate — but they won't correct existing crookedness.
Last updated: October 2026, compiled by the Virtual Consultant Online editorial team from our practice register and public data. Information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical advice; it is not reviewed by a clinician. Sources: NHS, General Dental Council. How we compile our information.
Retainers Across City of Edinburgh
Explore retainers information for other towns and cities in City of Edinburgh — all with dedicated local pages and online assessment access: