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Even after wearing braces, your teeth can shift right back to where they were before orthodontic intervention. Learn how a retainer can keep your new smile straight.
The day has finally come to get your braces off, and you’re able to show off that newly straightened smile. And after spending all that time and money on your braces treatment, you may think that the orthodontics chapter of your life has come to a close.
However, after your braces are removed, it’s time to move to the all-too-important next step in your treatment: wearing a retainer. If you don’t wear a retainer after braces, you run the risk of your teeth shifting right back to where they started.
At Hanachi Orthodontics in Gastonia and Mooresville, North Carolina, our team, led by expert orthodontist Farid Hanachi, DDS, PA, understands that braces require a heavy commitment, so we want you to get the absolute most from your investment.
In this month’s blog, we review why teeth can move after braces and how wearing a retainer can help.
Understanding the movements of your teeth
You can’t see or feel it, but your teeth are always moving. This is because the bone tissue that stabilizes your teeth is constantly being broken down and replaced. Even basic actions like talking, biting, and chewing cause new bone growth, triggering teeth movement.
The frustrating part is that your teeth will continue to move even after you’ve retrained them with braces. This is partly due to bone regeneration, but it’s also because your teeth will try their very best to go back to their original positions since that’s what they naturally gravitate towards.
Other factors that can speed up teeth movement are poor oral hygiene, teeth grinding, and jawbone loss.
How to keep your teeth straight after braces
Wearing a retainer after getting your braces off needs to be a top priority. As the name suggests, a retainer “retains” your smile while new bone tissue forms around your teeth and solidifies their new positions.
Thankfully, a retainer is much more comfortable and convenient than braces. During the first nine months, you will need to wear it every day and every night, only removing it to eat and brush your teeth. After that, you’ll wear it nightly for at least a few years, if not indefinitely.
To minimize your risk of your teeth shifting even with a retainer, make sure you maintain a healthy oral hygiene routine, avoid grinding your teeth, and see us for regular check-up appointments.
Also, take proper precautions to keep your retainer clean and safe. If it breaks and you have to go even a few days without it, your teeth can start to shift.
For any questions about retainers or your current orthodontics treatment, contact our team for a consultation by calling your nearest office location or using our online booking feature today.