After you’ve completed your orthodontic treatment, it’s important to maintain your smile and all the progress you’ve made.
In order to keep your new smile in good shape, you will need to wear a retainer. The retainer keeps your teeth in their correct positions and prevents them from straying back to crookedness.
Your teeth are always changing, so in order to keep them in line, you’ll want to wear a retainer every night. The retainer is a wonderful way to keep your teeth in correct alignment. Luckily, t’s an easy habit to get into; after you brush and floss, just pop it in and then head to bed.
If you notice your retainer feels tight, it could indicate that you are not wearing it enough and that your teeth are shifting, so be sure to wear it more often if this is the case.
Types of Retainers
Your retainer will be customized to you, so it perfectly fits your teeth, both the upper and lower arches. Retainers can be fixed or removable.
Removable Retainers
Many retainers are made with a metal wire that will surround your front teeth. This wire is attached to an acrylic arch that fits snugly against the roof of your mouth. These retainers are often used to finish an orthodontic treatment, continuing to move the teeth into the correct positions and making minor adjustments.
Clear Retainers
These retainers are becoming very common and resemble clear aligners. Once your braces are off, we’ll take an impression of your newly-straightened teeth and create the retainer for you based on that impression.
These retainers are removable for eating, brushing, and flossing.
Fixed Retainers
Fixed retainers are wires that are bonded to your teeth. You may wear them for a year after your treatment or you may wear them for many years, depending on your needs and our recommendations. Usually, these types of retainers are worn only on the bottom teeth.
These retainers can only be removed by a dental professional, but they are a great way to maintain the progress you made while wearing braces.
It’s very important to get the right retainer and to wear it regularly. Please give us a call and we can tell you more about our retainers.