Zendura A retainer appliance
Orthodontics
← Orthodontics Orthodontics

Zendura A retainer

Zendura A retainers — high-performing rigid resin with superior crack resistance and stain clarity. Also suitable as a thin hard bruxism appliance.

Transforming smiles with science

The science behind Zendura A

Independent lab testing shows why Zendura A outlasts ordinary retainer plastics — it's tougher, more scratch-resistant, stays clearer and holds its fit for longer. Here's what that means in plain English.

tougher than an Essix A+ retainer
more resistant to surface wear
10,000+flex cycles and it still fits
Toughness

It won't crack under pressure

Impact strength measures how much force the material soaks up before it fractures. Zendura A absorbs over five times the impact of a standard Essix A+ retainer — so it stands up to daily handling and grinding.

Higher is better ↑ · impact strength (J/mm)
Zendura A 24.11
Taglus Tuff 16.34
Tru-Tain DX 8.39
Invisacryl A 8.00
Duran 7.23
Essix A+ 4.78
Wear resistance

The surface stays smooth

The Taber abrasion test rubs the material to see how much wears away. Zendura A loses the least of any plastic tested. A peer-reviewed 2023 study agreed, calling it “the most wear-resistant among the materials tested” under simulated night-time grinding.

Lower is better ↓ · weight lost to wear (mg)
Zendura A 6.27
Zendura FLX 11.43
Taglus Tuff 11.73
Duran 11.77
Essix A+ 12.90
Clarity

It stays crystal clear

Soaked in coffee and mustard for 24 hours, Zendura A picked up far less colour than other retainer plastics — so it keeps that invisible look right through the wear period. The bars show the colour change (ΔE): the shorter, the clearer.

Lower is better ↓ · colour change ΔE after 24h
Coffee Mustard
Zendura A
1.05 1.34
Essix A+
1.38 2.71
Duran
1.23 3.75
Lasting fit

It keeps its shape — and its fit

Every time a retainer flexes it loses a little “spring back”. Zendura A barely changes — drifting from just 16% to 23% across 10,000 flex cycles, so it keeps gripping the teeth. In the same test an Essix A+ retainer broke.

Lower is better ↓ · tensile hysteresis (%) vs flex cycles
100 50 0 0 5,000 10,000 Essix A+ broke 16% 23%
Zendura A (measured) Essix A+ (failed)

Source: Zendura A manufacturer brochure. Wear study: Grünheid & Bitner (2023), International Orthodontics 21(2), 100748. Essix, Duran, Taglus, Tru-Tain and Invisacryl are trademarks of their respective owners.

Easy to work with

Two ways to send us a case

Scan or impression — whichever your practice prefers.

Send a digital scan

From any major intraoral scanner (iTero, Medit, 3Shape) or email us STL/PLY/OBJ files.

How to connect

Post an impression

Alginate or silicone in a rigid tray with a bite registration — or ask about free collection.

Arrange collection

Send us your first case

Open an account, request a price list, or just send a scan — we'll take it from there.

Chat with us