Why Do I Have To Wear A Retainer After Braces

After the braces come off and you get to see your beautifully straight smile for the first time, our job isn’t done. The next task is keeping your smile straight. The last thing you want after months of wearing braces is for all that time to go to waste. After straightening treatment, the teeth haven’t yet stabilised in their final position. This means that they could move out of position again, shifting back to where they had been moved from and relapsing. To prevent this from happening, we use retainers. With a retainer, you can make sure your smile remains straight and, for as long as you wear it, your straight smile can last for many, many years. Your retainer is an essential part of your treatment so it’s important that you follow your orthodontist’s guidance on when to wear it and for how long.

What are the different types of retainer?

There are three different types of retainer. Which type you need will depend on your individual case. You may need more than one to ensure that your teeth don’t relapse, especially if your orthodontic treatment has been particularly extensive. Retainers keep your teeth from shifting and causing bite problems once more. Your dentist or orthodontist will determine which is the best form of retaining your smile.

Bonded retainers

Fixed to the back of your front teeth, these permanent retainers ensure that your teeth remain straight. Dental adhesive is used to secure a thin wire to the back surfaces of the teeth. This type of retainer is the preferred method of retaining a smile in the case where you’ll need to wear your retainers at all times after orthodontic treatment.

Hawley retainers

Consisting of an acrylic plate and wires, these retainers are meant to be worn for a few months after the braces come off. They are a very secure method of keeping the teeth in place while they stabilise.

Clear plastic retainers

These retainers fit over your teeth, moulded perfectly to the dimensions of your straight smile. As they are clear, they aren’t noticeable while you are wearing them. At first, you may be expected to wear your retainer all day and night to make sure your teeth don’t relapse. Once your teeth have stabilised, your orthodontist may advise that you only wear your retainer at night.

How long do I have to wear my retainer for?

With bonded retainers, you will be wearing them all the time. With removable retainers, at first, you will be instructed to wear them every day except for when you eat and clean your teeth. It’s usual for you to wear them all day for 4-6 months. After that point, you’ll wear them less and less, likely only at night. You then may have to only wear them every other night, just long enough to prevent your teeth from relapsing.

What’s important, however, is that once you have your retainer, you will be wearing it for as long as you want your teeth to stay straight. It’s not a stretch to say that you could be wearing your retainer for many, many years. This all depends on what your dentist recommends. If you have to wear your retainers every night, you may need to replace them every few years as they become vulnerable to natural wear-and-tear.

How do I look after my retainer?

It’s important to clean your retainer at the same time you brush your teeth. While wearing your retainer, bacteria can develop during the day, leaving your teeth and gums vulnerable. Cleaning your retainer removes the bacteria, keeping your smile healthy and straight. Retainers are very easy to keep clean. Rinse them out first with warm water, not hot as you could melt the plastic. Using a soft bristled brush, you then clean inside and outside the retainer.

Avoid using caustic substances to clean your retainers so don’t use cleaning materials that aren’t specific to dental care. Make sure you keep your retainers clean of any food particles and rinse them out. We recommend that you store your retainer in its protective case whenever you remove them to keep them clean and safe. It’s also good practice to clean your case regularly.

Are removable retainers uncomfortable?

It may take a couple of days to adjust to your retainer. Sometimes, speech can become a little affected. One great tip is to practise reading aloud to yourself so you can train your tongue to get used to the retainers. If, however, you encounter any rubbing where your retainer is touching the gum line, you should speak to your dentist. They can make any adjustments.

What do I do if I lose my retainer?

Get in touch with your orthodontist and they will order you a replacement. As your digital scans of your teeth will be on file, there’s no need for you to make a visit to have impressions taken again. We will be able to send off to the dental laboratory and request a replacement retainer. We will get in contact when we receive the retainer.

Don’t wait or accept the loss. If you stop wearing your retainer for a period of time, your teeth could move out of position. You could end up needing new retainers made because your mouth shape has changed. It’s best to reach out to us the moment you can.

Keeping your smile perfect with retainers after orthodontic treatment

We just want you to stay happy with your straight smile. Having to wear a retainer may sound like an unwanted inconvenience, but it will benefit you in the long run. Retainers have very minimal disruption in your daily life and work to keep your teeth straight.

If you would like to know more about why you need to wear your retainer, or anything about our orthodontic treatments, you can give us a call on 020 8731 9020..

Want to start achieving a straight smile with braces or Invisalign? Book a free consultation here.