Do I Really Have to Wear My Retainer All the Time?

You can sum up the months or years you spend in active orthodontic treatment by the day your orthodontist removes your braces or you ditch that final set of Invisalign®. Finally, you get to see the results of all your hard work. You look in the mirror and can’t stop smiling or staring at your gorgeous new smile.

It may seem that it’s a done deal now that you have the smile you always wanted. Like all things worth having, it takes effort and discipline to keep your smile looking great for years to come. Think retainers, says J. A. Duval, DDS, in Warner Robins and Albany, Georgia.

Retainers explained 

Let’s start by explaining retainers and why they may be the most critical oral appliance you’ve ever worn. As its name implies, a retainer holds or keeps your teeth in their newly aligned positions after active orthodontic treatment ends.

Typically, a retainer is a removable oral appliance made of plastic, metal, or a blend. It is custom-fitted for you and made in a dental laboratory. While it may seem like your braces or aligners did all the hard work, they are only half of the equation for maintaining the alignment of your teeth.

And that’s where retainers come in.

Your teeth need time to settle into new positions

Remember the first time your orthodontist showed you a before-and-after photo during treatment? The underlying principle is that you can alter bone tissue, which makes orthodontics possible, but can also be its undoing if you don’t wear your retainer.

During active orthodontic treatment, bone cells – osteoclasts and osteoblasts swing into action when your braces or aligners create a gentle force to realign your teeth into optimal positions. First, osteoclasts break down old bone in their original positions. When your teeth are finally in optimal alignment, osteoblasts take over to build new bone through a process called ossification.

Ossification creates a strong foundation for your newly realigned teeth and works in coordination with your jawbone to reinforce the entire process. Every time you bite and chew, osteoblasts take control to strengthen your bones.

Ossification is a process that takes time, which is the issue. It’s not like your orthodontist throws a switch, and your teeth are permanently strong and in position. Whether you are an adult or child, wearing your retainer as directed serves as a safety net during this transition time to keep your teeth from drifting back into their previous positions.

Follow your orthodontist’s recommendations

With your orthodontic treatment, there is no magic one-size-fits-all guideline for how often and long you should wear your retainer. Your orthodontist makes recommendations based on two factors: the complexity of your case and the type of orthodontic treatment performed.

For the first three months after your orthodontic treatment ends, your provider recommends wearing your retainer daily, night and day. During routine checkups, your provider looks to see if your teeth are shifting or drifting out of alignment. If your teeth seem stable, your provider might adjust your retainer wear time to nighttime only, or for a few hours during the day.

Your orthodontist provides retainer instructions for your unique case. Following these instructions is your golden ticket for preserving all your hard work during orthodontic treatment and will keep your best smile for years to come.

Schedule a consultation with Duval Orthodontics today to learn more about orthodontic treatment or retainers. Book your visit by calling our office in Warner Robins or Albany, Georgia, or requesting an appointment online.