Retainers how long to wear

Simply, the longer you wear the retainer, the longer your teeth will remain in their desired position since teeth can shift without regular wear of a retainer. Regardless of whether you had traditional braces or Invisalign treatment, you will still need to wear a retainer in order to maintain the results achieved through orthodontic treatment. Without consistent wear for the rest of your life, you unfortunately risk the chance of your teeth returning to their pre-orthodontic position. A simple way of understanding why this happens is to think of your teeth as having a memory of their own.

Typically, it takes about a year for teeth to become stable in a new position. During this time period, your teeth are especially likely to want to shift back to their old position because bone has not yet fully formed around their new position to keep them stable. A retainer helps train your teeth to stay in their new ideal position while this process takes place.

For the first months of being braces free, you should aim to wear your retainers 12 hours a day or otherwise instructed by your orthodontist. Think of a retainer as protection. You've invested in your smile with braces or aligners. Your retainers ensure that your teeth stay in the right place. Multiple types of retainers exist, including:. A permanent retainer is glued to the back of your teeth. Your orthodontist installs it, and it never comes out unless someone else removes it and dissolves the glue.

Teeth like this are very tempted to take up their old positions, and they need the constant presence of a retainer to keep them in line and in place.

A permanent retainer may also be recommended for people who struggle to follow instructions. You can't take it out, so you're not tempted to take a break from it.

If you know you won't wear a removable retainer as instructed, a permanent version may be smart. Whether you choose a permanent retainer or a removable version, that appliance will be part of your routine for at least 10 years, if not the rest of your life. Braces and aligners work by applying consistent pressure that stretches the network of tissues that connect your teeth to your jaws. The bones in your teeth remodel and change shape based on that pressure.

But some spring in the tissues remains. The first three months after treatment are critical , dental experts say. When constant pressure is removed, teeth are tempted to take up their old positions.

During this time, you'll wear your retainer all the time to protect your investment. But even when those months pass, you'll need to entice your teeth to keep their new position. It's best to wear your retainer at night, every night, to protect your teeth.

But if you had your dental work done when you were a teenager, and you wore your retainer for 10 years after treatment, you may be able to stop wearing the device , if your dentist approves.

If you had your teeth adjusted as an adult, you'll wear your retainer for life. Your chance of a tooth shift is simply greater, and teeth tend to move as we age. To protect your investment, your retainer should be part of your life moving forward. If you recently finished a treatment regime with braces or aligners, the first three months following treatment are critical.

During this time, you may need to wear your retainer for up to 22 hours per day, taking them out only to eat and care for your teeth. After about three months, you can generally transition to wearing your retainers only at night, while you sleep.

Retainers you can pop in your mouth and remove again are easy to wear and clean. But they're also easy to neglect, and doing so could come with serious consequences. Retainers aren't cheap. Some companies offer a retainer as part of your treatment package. But replacement tools usually come with a price tag. Most retainers will need to be replaced several times over the course of your life if you are dedicated to keeping your smile looking the same way it looked the day you got your braces or Invisalign completed.

Any Orthodontist in the world can make a new set of retainers for you. However, we will always be happy to see you! There is an exciting and money saving way to make sure you have enough retainers made in advance so that you never have to worry about losing them, breaking them or wearing them out and not having a replacement for a few months or years. You get a new set of retainers every 3 months.

You can use them or store them in your safe for future use. Your replacement retainers are at your house and ready for you to start to wear. Call our office at or email us for more information or to schedule your impression-free scan. Book a free consultation. Why does this happen? It is simple biology, quite frankly. You still may be wondering why you need to continue to wear retainers after 12 months. There is more to the story and more tooth biology, so hang in there as we explain it further.

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