WHAT HAPPENS AFTER BRACES OR ALIGNERS?
Wearing a retainer after braces is essential to maintaining your new smile. Teeth and gums have a natural “memory” and without a retainer, they can slowly shift back to their original positions – undoing the hard work and time invested in your orthodontic treatment. During the months after your braces are removed, your teeth are especially prone to movement as they settle into place. A retainer holds them in their ideal alignment, allowing the surrounding gums and bone to adapt and stabilize. Consistent retainer wear is the key to protecting your smile for years to come, ensuring your results last a lifetime.
Retrainers and Post-Treatment Care
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Every patient needs to wear a retainer after completing their orthodontic treatment. Teeth will attempt to return to their pretreatment position, especially soon after braces are removed. Although, teeth stabilize over time in their post-treatment position, retainers are the only way to protect against shifting of the teeth throughout life.
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Ideally, you should wear your retainer full-time for a short period after finishing treatment. Then, nighttime wear is typically sufficient to maintain the treated position of the teeth. Retainers need to be worn throughout life to guard against unfavorable tooth movement.
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Teeth can shift relatively quickly when retainers are not worn faithfully. If you lose your retainer, you should call the office for a replacement as soon as possible. The more time you spend without a retainer, the more likely it is that your teeth will move.
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Yes, teeth always want to return to their prior position due to many forces, including forces generated from elastic fibers in your gums, your bite, lips, cheeks, or tongue. Retainers resist the many forces that act upon the teeth to keep them in their best position.
