There are many types of retainers after braces are removed. Many years ago, both specialized dentists and patients believed that after straightening the teeth with traditional braces, the teeth would remain straight. Extensive research has shown that teeth naturally shift to the middle of the mouth and crowd together. The only way to guarantee straightened teeth is to use one of the different types of retainers available. Following orthodontic treatment, the shifting of the teeth is expected with the late growth of the lower jaw. Retainers are very important in maintaining and individual’s new smile.
The word retain is referred to as something that holds a set of items together or back. Retainers are used specifically to hold the teeth in alignment and to keep the teeth stable. An orthodontic set of retainers includes an upper jaw retainer and a lower jaw retainer. Retainers ensure that the work done by the braces to straighten the teeth is not lost due to aging and natural processes. Orthodontists refer to process of losing realignment or stability as relapse. There are two major different types of retainers after braces: removable retainers and fixed retainers.
Most often, the orthodontist will take many factors into consideration when determining which of the different retainers after braces is most likely to be used. The orthodontist looks into growth of the upper and lower jaws post-treatment, the time needed for both gum and bone tissues to stabilize, and the amount of pressure from the lips and the tongue. All these factors after the stability of the treatment post-operatively. After considering these factors carefully, the orthodontist will determine the type of retainer as well as the length of time it should be worn.
One of the major retainers when braces are removed is the fixed retainer. The fixed retainer is placed on the inside surface of the lower front teeth. The fixed retainer can possibly be attached to the two canine teeth or to every tooth in the lower front region. Fixed retainers are very successful in maintaining the position and alignment of teeth. One of the disadvantages of fixed retainers is the cleaning. Fixed retainers make it more difficult to clean in-between teeth. The orthodontist is the expert who can offer guidelines to making this process more bearable. The fixed retainer is one that can be left in place until lower jaw growth is completed, or for a very long period of time. This analysis has to be done by the orthodontist. The fixed retainer is less commonly used in patients.
The removable retainer is one of the vastly used Retainers after Braces and is also the most common type of retainer used. Removable retainers are identified as the wire that runs across the front teeth, and it is used to maintain the alignment of teeth and keep them symmetrical. There are different types of removable retainers. For example, the Hawley retainer is custom-made for patients and can be made of plastic or stainless steel. All variations of the removable retainer maintain the teeth effectively after braces. Removable retainers are more often sought-after because they are not kept indefinitely.
The reason the removable retainer is the most common of the retainers used because they can be taken out (they are not permanent). The majority of the relapse often occurs during the first 6 months after braces are removed. The average patient wears the removable retainer only during sleep and for about 6 months. If the orthodontist suggest a time period longer or shorter than the average time, then there are other factors being considered. Patients who have been significantly affected by the benefit of braces may require a longer period of time for retainer usage.
There are mainly two different types of retainers after braces are removed: fixed retainers and removable retainers. Fixed retainers are retainers attached to the front teeth or canine teeth, and are often left until lower jaw growth is developed properly. Retainers are very important maintaining the treatment done by braces. They are very important in aligning the teeth and very necessary after braces are removed.
