Orthodontic Retention
You've worked hard for your beautiful smile; keep it that way!
Finally, your braces have been removed and your smile is beautiful, straight, and best of all, metal-free! However, your orthodontic journey isn't quite completed. To keep your smile looking its best, you'll have to wear a retainer to preserve and stabilize your results. Retainers are needed to control or limit potential changes in tooth position. They are used after braces treatment to hold teeth in their correct alignment while the surrounding gums, bone, and muscle adjust to the new positioning of your teeth.
Types of Retainers
Retainers are custom-made and can be removable or fixed.
- Fixed retainers consist of wires bonded directly to the inside surface of your bottom and/or top teeth. This is one of the best ways to prevent your teeth from shifting as it is permanently attached and it is often kept in place for life. Patients with fixed retainers need to be careful with their bond as the bonding material may break due to incorrect biting, or biting on hard foods and cause the teeth to shift quickly.
- Aligner-style retainers, or Essix retainers, look similar to clear aligners and offer a more aesthetic alternative to wire retainers. This clear retainer may fit over the entire arch of your teeth, or only from canine to canine (clip-on retainer). It is produced from a mold of your newly aligned teeth.
- Traditional removable retainers, or Hawley retainers, typically include a metal wire that surrounds the front teeth and is attached to a sturdy acrylic arch that sits snugly in the roof of the mouth, to keep your teeth in perfect position. In some cases, the metal wires can be adjusted to continue minor movement of the front teeth as needed.
Pros and Cons
- A fixed retainer is great if you don't want to keep track of it, or if you don't want to worry about how many hours per day it must be worn.
- Teeth with fixed retainers require a little extra attention to remove tartar while flossing. Patients with fixed retainers often must use floss threaders to pass dental floss through the small spaces between the retainer and the teeth.
- Removable retainers can be taken out for eating and hygiene routines.
- Removable retainers can get lost easily, so remember to keep yours in the case whenever you remove it to eat or brush.
