Keeping your teeth straight - Retention.
People often worry their teeth will go crooked again after treatment. Keeping teeth straight after active treatment (retention) is a very important consideration. At your very first appointment Dr Nicky will advise you to think about making a long-term commitment to retention; think of it as protecting your investment.
All patients are given retainers at the end of treatment to hold the teeth in position, regardless of what kind of brace was used to straighten the teeth. These vacuum-formed retainers look just like invisible braces but they only need to be worn at night. They’re easy and comfy and patients don’t mind wearing them. We used to use plastic plates as retainers, which were more uncomfortable. Things have moved on.
Vacuum-formed retainers are very good at holding teeth straight, but not so good at straightening the teeth if they have moved. If patients forget to wear their retainer even for a couple of nights, they may find their teeth move and their retainer doesn’t fit. It’s best to follow the retainer instructions very carefully (see download on left). If patients lose their retainer, or it splits, or seems like it doesn’t fit and the teeth are moving they must call Dr Nicky immediately. We can’t help unless you call.
Sometimes we opt for a different type of retainer which is like a wire stuck to the tongue-side of the teeth. This is called a fixed retainer. a permanent retainer, or sometimes a palatal or lingual retainer. There are advantages and disadvantages to the two different retainers which Dr Nicky will discuss with you.
How long do I have to wear my retainers?
Retainers are very important for the first 6 months or a year after braces have finished, however, it’s best not to chuck them away at this point! Dr Nicky will spend a lot of time talking to patients about their individual requirements during retention. People’s teeth behave differently, and people have different attitudes towards long-term retention. For a fuller explanation download the long-term information shown on the left.
All teeth change naturally with age. The only way Dr Nicky can guarantee that teeth will stay perfectly straight is to keep on wearing retainers. All patients can choose what’s best for them in the long term.
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Any information contained in this website is of a general nature and should not be used as a substitute for the personal advice patients receive when consulting an orthodontic specialist face to face. Links to other websites are provided for patients’ interest. These links do not imply that Valley Orthodontics endorses the contents of the linked site.