Retainers help keep your teeth in the right place so that all the time you spend in braces isn't lost. Teeth can and do shift out of place if you don't wear a retainer for the recommended amount of time your orthodontist says. Dr. Dann Orthodontics, an orthodontist in Orlando, can help you determine how long you should wear your retainer. Visit their office when you or your child need to start braces or switch to a retainer.
Wearing Your Retainer
How long you have to wear your retainer is determined by your orthodontist. It could be as short as four months, as long as a year, or indefinitely at night. If the orthodontist determines that you may need to wear it to bed at night every night for the rest of your life, that is what you have to do to keep your teeth where they are now. The comforting thing is that any retainer you have to wear to bed every night is usually the clear removable plastic kind, not the hard kind with the wire around your teeth.
Replacing Your Retainer
There are certain conditions that will lead to the replacement of your retainer. Overall, you should not have to replace your retainer after you initially get it as your retainer's sole purpose is to keep your teeth aligned. A retainer doesn't correct your teeth but maintains their corrected positions.
However, if you break your retainer, it has to be replaced. This is true regardless of the type or style of retainer you have. If you have not completed the required time to wear the retainer, you must get it replaced as soon as possible. Additionally, if you lose your retainer you have to get another one as soon as your orthodontist can make one.
Finally, the only other time you would need to replace your retainer is when you have not worn your retainer for several weeks and your teeth have already started shifting out of place. A new retainer has to be made to help move your teeth back and then hold them there. If that isn't done, you may have to wear braces all over again.
Come See Dr. Dann!
Come see Dr. Dann, your friendly neighborhood orthodontist in Orlando. Orthodontics doesn't have to be complicated when you see Dr. Dann.