Congratulations! The time has come when you have finished your braces or Invisalign treatment, and you finally have the smile you have always wanted!
So what happens next? Your retention phase!
Retainers play a vital role in your orthodontic treatment. They hold the teeth in the position where we placed them during treatment. Teeth have a natural tendency to move after treatment, particularly in the direction of their original position. This is called a relapse. Retainers’ function is to keep a relapse from occurring, so that your hard work, time, and money spent on orthodontics wasn’t wasted.
Many of us know someone whose teeth have shifted as a result of not wearing their retainers. Most patients who don’t follow through with retainer wear end up back in braces or Invisalign to correct the relapse that has taken place.
When talking about retainers, our patients tend to have a few questions. Some of the frequently asked questions are as follows:
- What will my retainer look like?
- Will I have that metal bar behind my teeth like my friend has?
- Can’t you just put in a permanent retainer?
- Do I have to wear my retainer all the time?
At Senties Family Orthodontics, we will advise on which is the best kind of retainer for each particular patient rather than send everyone home with the same appliance. You will be able to choose between a bonded “permanent” retainer or lab-created removable retainers made of plastic (Essix retainer) or metal and acrylic. We have outlined the pros and cons of each type of retainer, so you will have the information needed regarding these three types of retainers. Then as the patient, you can make the best decision to ensure you can keep that radiant smile you worked so hard for.
Removable Retainers
Removable retainers are created using your digital smile file – which we get from a quick scan using our iTero intraoral scanner. These retainers have an exact fit and hold all of your teeth in position. You will be instructed to wear these all day and night and only take them off to eat or brush your teeth for the first six months after treatment completion or until Dr. Senties prescribes otherwise. After the first six months, you will only have to wear them to bed at night. Retainers are a lifelong commitment.
If you’re wondering “how long do retainers last”, you may be surprised that many of our patients, with proper care, can get up to 10 years of wear with a set of retainers before needing to replace them!
Pros
- Essix plastic retainers are clear, almost invisible, and easy to wear.
- Fit your teeth “like a glove” and protect the teeth from shifting.
- Easy to clean since you can remove retainers to brush and floss.
- Can help protect dental restorations (fillings, crowns, etc.) if you grind or clench your teeth.
- Can be used as a bleaching tray. (You can purchase safe and effective bleaching gel from your general dentist to use inside your retainers for easy teeth whitening after treatment!)
- Give you the ability to wear full-time to move teeth back into the finished position if you went a couple of days without retainers and teeth shifted slightly.
Cons
- You have to be responsible and remember to wear retainers as instructed.
- If you lose your retainers, there will be a cost to have replacement retainers made. If this happens, please call our office as soon as possible to have a new set of retainers made to keep any shifting from occurring.
Fixed (bonded) or “Permanent” Retainers
On occasion, we have our patients ask about “permanent retainers.” They may have had one before, or either know someone who has one currently. In some cases, this may be the prescribed treatment for you. A fixed retainer consists of a wire that is bonded behind your lower front six teeth to help hold teeth in place. This area is where relapse is most likely to occur.
Fixed retainers can also be helpful if you have had a large space between your upper front two teeth. Once your braces or Invisalign treatment is over and the space has closed, we may use a bonded retainer to help keep the space closed. Care must be taken when placing the wire to ensure that you do not bite on the wire or the adhesive pads. Depending on how your teeth fit together, placing a bonded retainer on the upper teeth is not always feasible. Placing a bonded retainer, whether it’s on the upper teeth or the lower teeth, is a simple procedure.
Pros
- Help prevent shifting of the front teeth, where relapse is likely to occur. Because bonded retainers only protect the front teeth, you may be required to have a pair of removable retainers to wear as well so your back teeth stay straight. Dr. Senties believes in protecting all of the teeth – not just the teeth in the front everyone sees when you smile!
Cons
- These retainers get called “permanent” but in reality, nothing is permanent. Simply having a bonded retainer alone provides you with a false sense of protection. A bonded retainer can come loose or break! This is particularly true if you bite into hard foodstuffs; sometimes they are also broken during routine dental cleanings. Although they are much tougher than the braces you wear to get your teeth straightened, you still have to be careful with the things you eat. Most people don’t realize a fixed retainer is loose or broken until a tooth or more have shifted. Once movement has occurred, you may require further orthodontic treatment. If you have a bonded retainer and notice that it has come loose or breaks, please call our office as soon as possible to have it fixed before any movement takes place. Fixed retainers also make it more difficult and time consuming to brush and floss at home, so they are not recommended for patients that struggle more with their oral hygiene.
- You must be careful about what you eat. Hard, crunchy, sticky or gummy foods may cause your retainer to break.
- You must be diligent in keeping your retainer clean! Flossing regularly with a floss threader to prevent tartar buildup.
- Bonded retainers don’t provide any protection from relapse for the back teeth.
Still have questions about permanent or removable retainers?
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions!
We’re here to guide you through your treatment process, from your very first visit to your last appointment. Our team wants to help you achieve the beautiful, healthy smile you’ve been dreaming of and the resources you need to choose the best retainer for it.
If you’re looking for a top orthodontist in San Antonio, we’d love to meet you! Request a complimentary exam for you or your child today.
