It would be great if getting your braces off meant that your orthodontic treatment was complete. That’s the case for some people, but many others must continue orthodontic care by wearing retainers. Retainers are custom-made appliances that maintain the alignment that braces worked hard to achieve. Without a retainer, teeth and jaws could very well shift back to their pre-braces locations.
At the office of Ortho Inc., our top priority is to provide orthodontic treatments that best meet our patients’ needs. Our knowledgeable and caring professionals make sure you will enjoy attractive and well-functioning teeth. You can be certain that your oral health is in the best of hands.
Each patient’s retainer situation is unique. The variables include the extent to which he (or she) needed orthodontic correction, the kind of retainer he must wear and how well he takes care of his retainer. But all retainers have one thing in common: They make teeth permanently settle into the jawbone and surrounding soft tissue.
A patient may get a removable retainer, a fixed retainer or both. If the orthodontist determines that he needs both, one type will be for his bottom teeth and the other for his top.
Removable retainers are usually worn full-time (except while brushing your teeth and eating) for four to 12 months. The orthodontist will then decide if more full-time wear—for a few months, a year or the foreseeable future—is required, or only at night. Fixed retainers are bonded to the back of your teeth. They aren’t removable and, as with braces, require fastidious oral healthcare.
The consequences of not wearing a retainer as prescribed by an orthodontist are acute. All of the misalignments a patient’s orthodontia worked long and hard to correct will have been in vain. He will also have wasted his investments of time and money, as well as his opportunity to have a healthy and beautiful smile that will last a lifetime.
Ortho Inc. uses a variety of techniques and appliances that are at the forefront of orthodontic care. These improvements offer a wide variety of benefits to each patient. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for an appointment.
