|

Let’s talk retainers

You may be wondering if you really need to wear retainers after you get your braces off.  The short answer is – YES!!

The longer answer… there was a time that orthodontists thought that if they could just put teeth in the exact right position, they would stay there forever.  However, long term studies completed over the last 40 years have shown that this just isn’t the case.  There is no “right” position that will guarantee your teeth won’t move.  In fact, 70% of peoples’ teeth will shift during their lifetime – regardless of whether or not they had orthodontic treatment or when they had treatment.  And you won’t know if you’re in the lucky 30% until it’s too late…

Full-time Retainers for 6 Months

Dr. Christenson & Dr. Oakley recommend that you wear your retainer full time for about 6 months after your braces come off.  The bones and gum tissue around your teeth have a “memory” and will tend to move your teeth back to where they came from.  The 6 month period gives them time to “reorganize” and get used to the new position of your teeth.

Nighttime for a Lifetime

Your body continues to change throughout your life, and that includes your teeth!  As you get older, your front teeth will tend to upright (tip back toward your tongue).  This will lead to crowding/overlapping of your front teeth.  People used to think that the crowding was caused by wisdom teeth.  Again, long term studies have been done and have shown that crowding tends to happen just as often in people with wisdom teeth as it does in those who never had wisdom teeth!  While no retainer can guarantee that your teeth won’t move at all, but wearing retainers at night time will keep your smile looking great!

Check out this video about retainers from the American Association of Orthodontist!

Similar Posts