Importance Of Retainers After Invisalign And Braces

Wearing braces or Invisalign is not something that one dreams of. However, there are often complaints that make it imperative for one to wear braces or Invisalign and enhance the overall aesthetics of their teeth. But your dental treatment does not come to an end after your braces are off. Here comes the retainers.

You see, of course, Invisalign after braces is highly effective in straightening your teeth. But now, imagine your teeth shifting back after you are done with the treatment. This is the last thing anyone would want. 

Complexities and risk factors of this sort make it imperative for you to wear retainers after the completion of the treatment. So continue reading to learn more about wearing retainers after taking your braces or Invisalign off.      

What Can You Expect A Year After Invisalign Or Braces?

Human teeth are generally held in place with jawbones. However, when you are using retainers or Invisalign, it eventually softens your jawbone in a process called resorption. This allows the teeth to move to the right position as you want. 

But once you’re done with your braces or Invisalign treatment, the newly corrected jawbone tends to restore back to its old position. So you need to wear retainers and ensure the bone stays where you want it to stay. In general, it will take your body about 9-12 months to build sufficient bone and stabilize your teeth. 

Once you have completed the one-year period, your body must have produced enough bone to hold teeth in a stable position. As a result, you no longer need to wear any retainers after this period. Yet some orthodontists might recommend you to wear the retainers a couple of times a week to ensure things do not go wrong. 

After the jawbone gains enough tissues, there will be slight inwards and forward movement of your teeth with age. Nonetheless, this is not a change you can notice overnight, but it is more of a gradual process that does not really make much of a difference.     

So, How Exactly Do Retainers Work?

There is no argument with the fact that living with braces or Invisalign is not easy. Yet their effectiveness has helped guide your teeth back to the right position giving you an ideal set of teeth. However, as your teeth have been under constant pressure for some time, they will likely come back to their usual position when the devices are taken off. This is where a retainer can help you keep your teeth right at the place where you want them to be. 

As the make implies, a retainer is designed to retain the new positioning of your teeth. No matter if you are using a temporary or permanent retainer or even a removable one, all of them are designed to keep your teeth in place. Failing to wear a retainer after removing your braces or Invisalign increases your chances of your teeth getting misaligned once again. So make sure to wear your retainer and ensure your efforts do not go in vain. 

Different Types Of Retainers You Can Use  

In most conventional cases, you will come across people using two primary types of retainers. The first is permanent retainers, while the second is removable retainers. So continue reading to find the ideal type of retainer for you. 

Permanent Retainers

Also known as fixed retainers, permanent retainers are made of a thin metal wire bonded to the back of the teeth. In most cases, they are bonded to the lower teeth to keep them in place after the treatment. These are the best suited for people with higher risks of experiencing a relapse, where the teeth move back to their original position. 

Removable Retainers

These retainers are very common among many as they can be easily removed to suit the preferences of the patient. As a convenient alternative to permanent retainers, removable retainers come with a wire attached to a molded piece of acrylic customized to fit explicitly in your mouth. They are not very noticeable, and one can seamlessly remove them while eating or doing any other similar tasks.   

In Conclusion

As you can see, a retainer plays a key role in ensuring your teeth remain in the right place after removing your braces or Invisalign. So ensure to visit Taylor dental care and get yourself the right set of retainers. Remember, this is important to ensure your extensive efforts do not go in vain.