Retainers in Long Cross at a Glance
| Nearest practice listing retainers | Southwest Dental Laboratory, Frome — 15.6 miles |
|---|---|
| Nearest practice with emergency care | None within 30 miles on our register |
| Nearest practice open evenings or weekends | Welshmill Dental Practice, Frome — 16.2 miles |
| Residents under 16 | 10.8% (Census 2021) |
| Aged 10 to 15 locally | 5.8% of 1,597 residents, the main age band for NHS orthodontic treatment |
| Practices on our register | 0 within 5 miles, 0 within 10, 15 within 20 |
| Area type (ONS) | Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city |
| Deprivation | Less deprived than most of England |
| Households without a car | 14.7% in the surrounding census area (Census 2021) |
| Residents per square kilometre | 719 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 Long Cross listing retainers
On our practice register: None within 10 miles of Long Cross; 15 practices within 20. The closest is Southwest Dental Laboratory in Frome, 15.6 miles north. The nearest listing retainers is Southwest Dental Laboratory, 15.6 miles north.
| Practice | Distance | Retainers | Emergency care | Evenings or weekends | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Dental LaboratoryFrome | 15.6 miles north | ✓ | – | – | 5.0 (5 reviews) |
| Welshmill Dental PracticeFrome | 16.2 miles north | ✓ | – | ✓ | 4.9 (198 reviews) |
| Fisherton Dental CareSalisbury | 18.1 miles east | ✓ | – | – | 5.0 (149 reviews) |
| Salisbury Orthodontics LtdSalisbury | 18.5 miles east | ✓ | – | – | 4.9 (210 reviews) |
| Sarum Dental PracticeSalisbury | 18.5 miles east | ✓ | – | – | 5.0 (165 reviews) |
| Smile Dental LaboratoryYeovil | 19.3 miles west | ✓ | – | ✓ | 3.7 (3 reviews) |
✓ listed in the practice's own information; – not mentioned, which doesn't mean not offered. Straight-line distances.
Nearest places to Long Cross with practices listing retainers
The closest town with practices listing retainers is Frome, 15.6 miles north; the next are Salisbury (18.1 miles east) and Yeovil (19.3 miles west).
| Place | Practices | Nearest |
|---|---|---|
| Frome | 2 | 15.6 miles north |
| Salisbury | 3 | 18.1 miles east |
| Yeovil | 1 | 19.3 miles west |
| Trowbridge | 1 | 21.6 miles north |
| Poole | 2 | 22.4 miles south-east |
| Bournemouth | 1 | 22.4 miles south-east |
Counted from the practices on our register around this place, nearest first. Straight-line distances.
Best-reviewed practices within 20 miles of Long Cross
Of the practices within 20 miles with at least 10 Google reviews, the highest rated is Sarum Dental Practice in Salisbury (5.0 from 165 reviews), 18.5 miles east.
| Practice | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Sarum Dental PracticeSalisbury | 5.0 (165 reviews) | 18.5 miles east |
| Fisherton Dental CareSalisbury | 5.0 (149 reviews) | 18.1 miles east |
| Salisbury Orthodontics LtdSalisbury | 4.9 (210 reviews) | 18.5 miles east |
| Welshmill Dental PracticeFrome | 4.9 (198 reviews) | 16.2 miles north |
Ratings are each practice's public Google review average and say nothing about clinical quality. Straight-line distances.
Retainers near Long Cross
| What you may need | Look for | Nearest listing it | Next nearest | Within 20 miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retainers | retainers | Southwest Dental Laboratory, Frome (15.6 miles) | Welshmill Dental Practice (16.2 miles); Fisherton Dental Care (18.1 miles) | 6 |
| Urgent repairs | emergency care | not mentioned nearby | none other | 0 |
| Visits outside working hours | evening or weekend opening | Welshmill Dental Practice, Frome (16.2 miles) | The Private Treatment Centre (18.4 miles); Smile Dental Laboratory (19.3 miles) | 3 |
| A fresh scan for a new retainer | digital scanning | Southwest Dental Laboratory, Frome (15.6 miles) | Fisherton Dental Care (18.1 miles); Salisbury Orthodontics Ltd (18.5 miles) | 4 |
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. Teeth are under constant biological pressure to move, and retainers are the only reliable counter. Practices across Long Cross usually supply both a fixed wire and a removable tray for belt-and-braces protection.
Retainer Services in Long Cross
Long Cross has no orthodontic practice of its own, but a dentist — Bupa Dental Care — is under a mile away, and a general dentist is who most people ask for an orthodontic referral in the first place. ONS classifies Long Cross as smaller rural: Further from a major town or city. NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is the NHS body responsible for dental commissioning in Long Cross. Census data puts only 10.8% of Long Cross's population at under 16, below the typical share. In the census neighbourhood around Long Cross, 5.8% of the 1,597 residents are aged 10 to 15, below the 6.3% average across Dorset, the age band in which most NHS orthodontic treatment begins. No orthodontic practice on our register is within five miles of Long Cross; the nearest is about 16 miles away. 16.7% of 5-year-olds across this ICB have visible dental decay, per OHID's most recent figures. Families in Long Cross are served by secondary schools including Shaftesbury School (0.9 miles) and Gillingham School (3.2 miles). 1 secondary school is within three miles. Long Cross's Local Authority has 179 schools educating 51,332 pupils (DfE data). By national deprivation ranking, Long Cross sits among the less deprived areas of England. Complex cases can be referred to a hospital orthodontic department; the nearest university dental hospital to Long Cross is Bristol Dental Hospital in Bristol, about 35 miles away. See local practice availability in Long Cross → They typically offer retainer fitting, replacement, and emergency repair appointments.
Private replacement Essix retainers (per arch) costs in Long Cross 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 Long Cross can usually provide replacement retainers.
Types of Retainer Available in Long Cross
Fixed (bonded) retainers are thin wires bonded behind the front teeth — usually the lower six, sometimes the upper too. They're permanent, invisible from the front, and need no daily effort, though they require careful cleaning with floss threaders to keep the gum healthy.
Essix retainers are clear thermoplastic trays much like aligners, removed for eating and cleaning. They're discreet and comfortable but can warp with heat and typically need replacing every 1–3 years.
Hawley retainers are the traditional acrylic-plate-and-wire design. They're more durable than Essix trays, adjustable if minor movement occurs, and can last many years — but they're more visible when worn.
Many orthodontists in Long Cross now provide both a fixed wire for continuous protection and a removable Essix tray for overnight use, combining the strengths of each.
Replacing and Maintaining Retainers in Long Cross
Removable Essix retainers typically last one to three years before wear, warping or cracking calls for replacement, at roughly £80–£150 per arch. Hawley retainers are tougher and can last five to ten years; fixed wires last for years but can debond from a single tooth.
A fixed wire can debond without you noticing, so regular check-ups in Long Cross matter — an unrepaired wire lets a tooth move independently and misalignment can appear within weeks.
After Your Braces Come Off in Long Cross
Finishing active treatment is the start of retention, not the finish line. 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.
The De-bond Appointment
At de-bonding, brackets are removed using an instrument that gently fractures the adhesive bond, leaving enamel undamaged when performed correctly. Adhesive residue is polished off using a rotating buff — taking 10-20 minutes. You may notice mild sensitivity in the days after as enamel previously under brackets is exposed; this is temporary.
Frequently Asked Questions — Retainers in Long Cross
Where is the nearest orthodontist to Long Cross?
On our register, the nearest orthodontic practice to Long Cross is Southwest Dental Laboratory in Frome, about 15.6 miles to the north. The next closest are Portway Dental Practice (15.7 miles) and Grants House Dentistry (16.0 miles).
How many orthodontic practices are near Long Cross?
Our register has 0 practices within 5 miles of Long Cross, 0 practices within 10 miles and 15 practices within 20 miles. None is inside 5 miles; the closest is in Frome, 15.6 miles away.
Where can I get a retainer near Long Cross?
The nearest practice to Long Cross that lists retainers is Southwest Dental Laboratory in Frome, about 15.6 miles to the north. Others nearby include Welshmill Dental Practice (16.2 miles) and Fisherton Dental Care (18.1 miles).
What kind of area is Long Cross?
By ONS classification, Long Cross falls under smaller rural: Further from a major town or city.
How deprived is Long Cross compared with the rest of England?
By the national deprivation index, Long Cross is less deprived than most of England. It doesn't affect NHS orthodontic eligibility, which is decided on clinical need alone.
Which NHS body covers Long Cross for dental care?
Long Cross sits within NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board for NHS dental commissioning.
Does Long Cross have a dental practice?
No orthodontic practice covers Long Cross directly — the nearest dentist, Bupa Dental Care, is under a mile away and is a normal first stop for a referral into orthodontic care.
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 Dorset
Explore retainers information for other towns and cities in Dorset — all with dedicated local pages and online assessment access: