The Role of Retainers in Maintaining Your Orthodontic Results
Posted on 8/21/2023 by Evan
Retainers are crucial in maintaining the results of your orthodontic treatment. After placing aligners and braces, you require retainers to ensure your teeth remain in the desirable position. Retainers can either be fixed or removable. Removable retainers can be taken out while eating or brushing. Here are the top reasons why you need retainers after orthodontic treatment:
Stabilizing Your Teeth
After orthodontic treatment, your teeth may have a natural tendency to shift back to their original positions. This is known as orthodontic relapse. Retainers help stabilize the teeth in their new alignment, preventing them from moving and maintaining the results achieved during treatment.
Allow Surrounding Tissues to Adapt
While your teeth are being moved during orthodontic treatment, the surrounding oral tissues, including the gums and bone, need time to adapt to the new position of the teeth. Wearing retainers helps these tissues adjust and maintain their health while the teeth stabilize.
Proper Adjustment of these Tissues
Retainers provide a controlled force on the teeth and surrounding tissues, allowing them to adapt gradually to the new alignment. This helps minimize the risk of discomfort or potential damage if the teeth shift back suddenly.
Prevents Crowding of teeth
Without retainers, there's a higher chance of your teeth gradually shifting out of alignment, leading to crowding or relapse. Retainers help prevent these undesirable changes and ensure that the achieved orthodontic results are maintained over the long term.
Your orthodontist will explain how long you should wear the retainers. After the first days of orthodontic treatment, you must wear the retainers full-time. However, you can remove them while brushing or eating for the removable retainers. After a time, you can wear the retainers only at night. It is crucial to follow the instructions diligently to ensure you receive optimum results during your orthodontic treatment.
About Us • Raleigh Family Ortho Learn more about Dr. Lee & Dr. Neill, their Raleigh dental practice, and some basic information about orthodontics. Call us today to schedule! Raleigh Family Orthodontics, 9201 Leesville Rd STE 160, Raleigh, NC 27613 / (984) 254-0585 / raleighfamilyortho.com / 12/5/2024 / Tags: orthodontist RALEIGH NC /