Orthodontic Retension

Congratulations on having your orthodontic treatment finished!

Patients often think that once the braces are off, this is the end of their treatment; however, this is not the case. Even though it may sound weird, science has shown that the most stable condition that your teeth can be is the one that you had before starting orthodontic treatment.

In addition, even patients with ideal occlusion, who have never had orthodontic treatment, may show a progressive deterioration of their previously perfectly aligned teeth. Situations like tooth spacing and migration due to reduced periodontal support or progressive crowding and rotations of front teeth may also appear in adulthood. These changes are considered normal ageing of the dental arches and occlusion.

At the end of orthodontic treatment, we will give you your retainers. These are either removable plates with acrylic and wires or clear aesthetic plates. In certain cases that is indicated and after an agreement, we may also bond a small wire behind your upper and lower front teeth meaning that you will also have a fixed retainer in addition to your removable ones.

The design and choice of which type of retainer is indicated is based on your original problem.

You will also be given customized instructions of how many hours during the day you will need to wear your retainers or if you will only wear them during the night.

Frequent visits every few months are recommended and organized so that we can check that your fixed retainers look OK, and your removable retainers fit well on your teeth.

In case you feel that your retainers are broken before your “retention check” appointment, please do not hesitate to contact us as soon as possible.

Usually, patients ask for how long after the completion of their orthodontic treatment they need to wear the retainers. The most evidence-based scientific answer is that “you need to wear and take care of your retainers for as long you want your teeth to remain straight!”.