Retainers in The Braids at a Glance
| Nearest practice listing retainers | Ardmillan Orthodontics Ltd, Edinburgh — 1.6 miles |
|---|---|
| Nearest practice with emergency care | None within 30 miles on our register |
| Nearest practice open evenings or weekends | None within 30 miles on our register |
| Practices on our register | 123 within 5 miles, 146 within 10, 240 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 The Braids listing retainers
On our practice register: 123 practices within 5 miles of The Braids, 146 practices within 10 and 240 practices within 20. The closest is 31 MORNINGSIDE DRIVE in Edinburgh, 0.5 miles north-west. Few practices near here list retainers in their published information, so this lists the nearest of any kind.
| Practice | Distance | Retainers | Emergency care | Evenings or weekends | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 MORNINGSIDE DRIVEEdinburgh | 0.5 miles north-west | – | – | – | – |
| 27 COMISTON ROADEdinburgh | 0.5 miles north-west | – | – | – | – |
| EH10 DENTALEdinburgh | 0.6 miles north-west | – | – | – | – |
| MORNINGSIDE DENTAL CAREEdinburgh | 0.8 miles north-west | – | – | – | – |
| CHURCH HILL DENTAL PRACTICEEdinburgh | 0.9 miles north-west | – | – | – | – |
| LINKS DENTAL PRACTICEEdinburgh | 1.1 miles north | – | – | – | – |
✓ listed in the practice's own information; – not mentioned, which doesn't mean not offered. Straight-line distances.
Nearest places to The Braids with orthodontic practices
The closest town with orthodontic practices is Edinburgh, 0.5 miles north-west; the next are Colinton (1.3 miles south) and Danderhall (1.3 miles east).
| Place | Practices | Nearest |
|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh | 26 | 0.5 miles north-west |
| Colinton | 3 | 1.3 miles south |
| Danderhall | 1 | 1.3 miles east |
Counted from the practices on our register around this place, nearest first. Straight-line distances.
Retainers near The Braids
| What you may need | Look for | Nearest listing it | Next nearest | Within 20 miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retainers | retainers | Ardmillan Orthodontics Ltd, Edinburgh (1.6 miles) | none other | 1 |
| Urgent repairs | emergency care | not mentioned nearby | none other | 0 |
| Visits outside working hours | evening or weekend opening | not mentioned nearby | none other | 0 |
| A fresh scan for a new retainer | digital scanning | Ardmillan Orthodontics Ltd, Edinburgh (1.6 miles) | Bite Dentistry (1.6 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. Teeth are under constant biological pressure to move, and retainers are the only reliable counter. Any orthodontic practice in The Braids can fit, replace or repair them if you need it.
Replacing and Maintaining Retainers in The Braids
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.
Treat a lost or broken retainer as time-sensitive. Any orthodontic practice in The Braids can help, and catching a problem early is always far cheaper than dealing with relapse later.
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.
A retainer that no longer seats is a warning sign — get it checked promptly. Catching movement early usually means a fresh retainer, not a full course of retreatment.
Retainer Services in The Braids
How quickly you can be seen, and what's on offer, varies between the practices serving The Braids. Officially, The Braids is categorised as large Urban Areas. NHS dental commissioning in The Braids falls under NHS Lothian. With 123 orthodontic practices within five miles, The Braids is better served than 97% of towns in Scotland. The Braids falls in a less deprived area than most of Scotland. Complex cases can be referred to a hospital orthodontic department; the nearest university dental hospital to The Braids is Dundee Dental Hospital in Dundee, about 38 miles away. See local practice availability in The Braids → They typically offer retainer fitting, replacement, and emergency repair appointments.
Private replacement Essix retainers (per arch) in The Braids typically costs between £80 and £150, depending on case complexity. 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 The Braids can usually provide replacement retainers.
Life After Braces in The Braids
Finishing active treatment is the start of retention, not the finish line. The best clinical outcome can be lost within months if retention is neglected. This guide covers everything that happens after active treatment ends.
Teeth Whitening After Braces in The Braids
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 The Braids
Where is the nearest orthodontist to The Braids?
On our register, the nearest orthodontic practice to The Braids is 31 MORNINGSIDE DRIVE in Edinburgh, about 0.5 miles to the north-west. The next closest are 27 COMISTON ROAD (0.5 miles) and EH10 DENTAL (0.6 miles).
How many orthodontic practices are near The Braids?
Our register has 123 practices within 5 miles of The Braids, 146 practices within 10 miles and 240 practices within 20 miles.
Where can I get a retainer near The Braids?
The nearest practice to The Braids that lists retainers is Ardmillan Orthodontics Ltd in Edinburgh, about 1.6 miles to the north-west.
What NHS area is The Braids in for dental services?
The Braids sits within NHS Lothian for NHS dental commissioning.
Is The Braids rural or urban?
By ONS classification, The Braids falls under large Urban Areas.
How deprived is The Braids compared with the rest of Scotland?
By the national deprivation index, The Braids is less deprived than most of Scotland. It doesn't affect NHS orthodontic eligibility, which is decided on clinical need alone.
What towns are near The Braids?
Edinburgh, Mortonhall, Marchmont are within easy reach of The Braids.
Can I whiten my teeth while wearing retainers?
Yes — clear Essix retainers can even double as whitening trays with the right gel, and removable ones simply come out for in-chair whitening. A fixed wire doesn't block whitening the front teeth either, though gel won't reach directly behind it.
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: