Retainers in Felldownhead at a Glance
| Nearest practice listing retainers | Plymouth Dental Centre of Excellence, Saltash — 14.1 miles |
|---|---|
| Nearest practice with emergency care | Nuvo Dental Plymouth, Plymouth — 15.6 miles |
| Nearest practice open evenings or weekends | Plymouth Dental Centre of Excellence, Saltash — 14.1 miles |
| Residents under 16 | 15% (Census 2021) |
| Aged 10 to 15 locally | 6.5% of 1,718 residents, the main age band for NHS orthodontic treatment |
| Practices on our register | 0 within 5 miles, 0 within 10, 14 within 20 |
| Area type (ONS) | Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city |
| Deprivation | Around the England average |
| Households without a car | 4.1% in the surrounding census area (Census 2021) |
| Residents per square kilometre | 24 in the surrounding census area (Census 2021) |
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 Felldownhead listing retainers
On our practice register: None within 10 miles of Felldownhead; 14 practices within 20. The closest is Plymouth Dental Centre of Excellence in Saltash, 14.1 miles south. The nearest listing retainers is Plymouth Dental Centre of Excellence, 14.1 miles south.
| Practice | Distance | Retainers | Emergency care | Evenings or weekends | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth Dental Centre of ExcellenceSaltash | 14.1 miles south | ✓ | – | ✓ | 4.9 (768 reviews) |
| Nuvo Dental PlymouthPlymouth | 15.6 miles south | ✓ | ✓ | – | 4.9 (697 reviews) |
| Mannamead Cosmetic Dental Centre PlymouthPlymouth | 16.3 miles south-east | ✓ | – | – | 4.7 (52 reviews) |
| Smile Care Cosmetic CentrePlymouth | 16.7 miles south-east | ✓ | – | ✓ | 4.9 (260 reviews) |
| Clark House DentalPlymouth | 17.3 miles south | ✓ | – | – | 4.7 (45 reviews) |
| Queen Annes Dental PracticeBideford | 29.1 miles north | ✓ | – | – | 4.4 (38 reviews) |
✓ listed in the practice's own information; – not mentioned, which doesn't mean not offered. Straight-line distances.
Nearest places to Felldownhead with practices listing retainers
The closest town with practices listing retainers is Saltash, 14.1 miles south; the next are Plymouth (15.6 miles south) and Bideford (29.1 miles north).
Counted from the practices on our register around this place, nearest first. Straight-line distances.
Best-reviewed practices within 20 miles of Felldownhead
Of the practices within 20 miles with at least 10 Google reviews, the highest rated is Plymouth Dental Centre of Excellence in Saltash (4.9 from 768 reviews), 14.1 miles south.
| Practice | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Plymouth Dental Centre of ExcellenceSaltash | 4.9 (768 reviews) | 14.1 miles south |
| Nuvo Dental PlymouthPlymouth | 4.9 (697 reviews) | 15.6 miles south |
| Smile Care Cosmetic CentrePlymouth | 4.9 (260 reviews) | 16.7 miles south-east |
| Mannamead Cosmetic Dental Centre PlymouthPlymouth | 4.7 (52 reviews) | 16.3 miles south-east |
Ratings are each practice's public Google review average and say nothing about clinical quality. Straight-line distances.
Retainers near Felldownhead
| What you may need | Look for | Nearest listing it | Next nearest | Within 20 miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retainers | retainers | Plymouth Dental Centre of Excellence, Saltash (14.1 miles) | Nuvo Dental Plymouth (15.6 miles); Mannamead Cosmetic Dental Centre Plymouth (16.3 miles) | 5 |
| Urgent repairs | emergency care | Nuvo Dental Plymouth (15.6 miles) | none other | 1 |
| Visits outside working hours | evening or weekend opening | Plymouth Dental Centre of Excellence, Saltash (14.1 miles) | Eilertsen Dental Care, Plymouth (15.1 miles); Plymouth Orthodontics (16.3 miles) | 5 |
| A fresh scan for a new retainer | digital scanning | Nuvo Dental Plymouth (15.6 miles) | Mannamead Cosmetic Dental Centre Plymouth (16.3 miles); Smile Care Cosmetic Centre (16.7 miles) | 5 |
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. Without them, teeth start drifting back towards their old positions within weeks of finishing. How diligently they're worn is what determines how long your Felldownhead treatment result lasts.
Retainer Services in Felldownhead
There's no orthodontist on record in Felldownhead itself; the nearest dentist, Bupa Dental Care, is about 13 miles away and is a reasonable place to start for a referral. Officially, Felldownhead is categorised as smaller rural: Further from a major town or city. For NHS dental services, Felldownhead falls under NHS Devon Integrated Care Board. Felldownhead's under-16 share sits at 15%, per the 2021 Census. Most NHS orthodontic treatment begins between ages 10 and 15, and that band makes up 6.5% of the 1,718 residents in Felldownhead's census neighbourhood, close to the 6.3% average across Devon. People in Felldownhead usually travel further for an orthodontist: the nearest on our register is about 14 miles away. 22.6% of 5-year-olds across this ICB have visible dental decay, per OHID's most recent figures. Families in Felldownhead are served by secondary schools including Launceston College (3.6 miles). National deprivation data puts Felldownhead close to the England median. The nearest university dental hospital to Felldownhead is Peninsula Dental School, Plymouth, about 15 miles away, where hospital orthodontic referrals are seen. See local practice availability in Felldownhead → They typically offer retainer fitting, replacement, and emergency repair appointments.
Private replacement Essix retainers (per arch) costs in Felldownhead 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 Felldownhead can usually provide replacement retainers.
How Long Do You Need to Wear Retainers?
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.
Fixed bonded retainers stay in place permanently unless they break, needing no daily decision — which makes them the most reliable long-term method.
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.
Replacing and Maintaining Retainers in Felldownhead
Expect to replace an Essix retainer every couple of years; Hawley plates last far longer, and bonded wires longest of all. The one thing to watch with a fixed retainer is a wire quietly debonding from a tooth.
A fixed wire can debond without you noticing, so regular check-ups in Felldownhead matter — an unrepaired wire lets a tooth move independently and misalignment can appear within weeks.
Orthodontic Aftercare in Felldownhead
The end of active orthodontic treatment in Felldownhead is a milestone — but not the end of the process. Many patients are surprised how much goes into keeping teeth exactly where treatment left them. Understanding the aftercare process helps you make the most of your investment.
Teeth Whitening After Braces in Felldownhead
It's a common instinct to want whitening straight after de-bonding, but enamel is briefly more porous right after brackets come off and needs about 4 weeks to remineralise first. Professional whitening once that window has passed tends to give excellent results on newly straightened teeth.
Frequently Asked Questions — Retainers in Felldownhead
Where is the nearest orthodontist to Felldownhead?
On our register, the nearest orthodontic practice to Felldownhead is Plymouth Dental Centre of Excellence in Saltash, about 14.1 miles to the south. The next closest are Transit Way Dental & Implant Clinic (14.4 miles) and Meavy Way Dental Practice (14.8 miles).
How many orthodontic practices are near Felldownhead?
Our register has 0 practices within 5 miles of Felldownhead, 0 practices within 10 miles and 14 practices within 20 miles. None is inside 5 miles; the closest is in Saltash, 14.1 miles away.
Where can I get a retainer near Felldownhead?
The nearest practice to Felldownhead that lists retainers is Plymouth Dental Centre of Excellence in Saltash, about 14.1 miles to the south. Others nearby include Nuvo Dental Plymouth (15.6 miles) and Mannamead Cosmetic Dental Centre Plymouth (16.3 miles).
How deprived is Felldownhead compared with the rest of England?
By the national deprivation index, Felldownhead is close to the England average for deprivation. It doesn't affect NHS orthodontic eligibility, which is decided on clinical need alone.
What kind of area is Felldownhead?
ONS classifies Felldownhead as smaller rural: Further from a major town or city.
Is Felldownhead a family area?
Around 15% of Felldownhead's residents are under 16, per the 2021 Census.
Is there a dentist near Felldownhead?
There's no orthodontist based in Felldownhead, though Bupa Dental Care (about 13 miles away) is a general dentist who can carry out an initial assessment and refer on if needed.
Can I get retainers if my teeth have already shifted?
For minor shifting, a new retainer made to your current position will stop further movement. For significant shift, a short retreatment course with aligners or braces may come first — an orthodontist assessment will confirm which applies.
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 Devon
Explore retainers information for other towns and cities in Devon — all with dedicated local pages and online assessment access: