Orthodontic retainers are an essential part of maintaining a perfect smile. After undergoing orthodontic treatment, it is crucial to wear retainers regularly to keep the teeth in place and prevent relapse. Many people mistakenly believe that once the braces or aligners come off, their orthodontic journey is complete. Wearing a retainer is just as important as straightening your teeth. Here are some reasons why orthodontic retainers are crucial for maintaining your perfect smile.
- Prevents Teeth Shifting – After completing orthodontic treatment, there will be some residual tension in the gums and bones around the teeth. This tension can cause slight shifting of the teeth back to their original position over time if not maintained with regular use of a retainer.
- Protects Investment – Orthodontic treatments can be pricey investments, and without proper maintenance afterward, all that money spent on braces or aligners will go down the drain with relapse occurring.
- Promotes Long-Term Oral Health – Wearing a retainer can help promote long-term oral health by ensuring that your teeth remain aligned after treatment finishes.
- Enhances Comfort – Retainers offer comfortable support for newly positioned teeth while they settle into place permanently in their new positions. Read the full info learn more here.
- Improves Speech Problems – Sometimes when people have crooked or overlapping front teeth before receiving an orthodontics treatment. It causes speech problems like lisps because they cannot articulate words properly due to these misaligned structures affecting tongue movement within one’s mouth cavity until addressed by wearing an appropriate type of dental appliance such as an ortho-retainer designed specifically for this purpose.
Types of ortho-retainers
There are two primary types of retainers removable and fixed (bonded) each with its unique benefits based on individual needs.
- Removable Retainers – These look similar to Invisalign clear aligner trays but thicker since they’re designed from more robust materials such as acrylic molds which fit snugly over your entire set of upper and lower arches preventing any unwanted tooth shifts from occurring overnight while you sleep.
- Fixed or Bonded Retainers – These typically consist of thin wires placed behind your lower/upper front six incisors using composite adhesive material which keeps them firmly anchored against the movement. During chewing hard foods like nuts without discomfort. They require little maintenance except occasionally flossing between wire strands carefully avoiding any damage-causing twisting movements since doing so could allow bacteria buildup causing decay underneath.
The frequency at which you should wear your retainer varies depending on individual circumstances such as lifestyle habits, and the severity level of previous malocclusion issues treated via braces. Its best always recommend speaking with an experienced dentist skilled in offering professional guidance regarding how often one should wear theirs specifically customized according to her unique situation post-orthodontia completion phase undertaken previously.