If you were fortunate enough to have your smile aligned when you were younger, there’s a good chance your orthodontist provided you with a retainer when your treatment was complete. Unfortunately, over time, many adults stop wearing these devices, causing their teeth to shift out of alignment. If you’re curious about whether you should start wearing your retainer again to help move your teeth back into place, here’s why it’s important to always wear it as prescribed, and why you should never rely on it to restore your bite if you’ve stopped.
Why Do I Even Need a Retainer?
Retainers are designed to keep your teeth in place in their new alignment. Immediately after you get your braces or aligners off, your orthodontist will likely provide you with a retainer to wear round-the-clock for the first month or so following treatment. This helps ensure that your teeth don’t shift and reinforces the movement they’ve already made.
After the first 30 days post treatment, you will likely only need to wear your retainer while you’re asleep but failing to do this can easily allow your teeth to shift back into their old positions or into problematic new ones.
My Teeth Shifted! Now What?
If you’ve stopped wearing your retainer as instructed, it’s likely your teeth have already shifted, possibly without you even realizing it. They may suddenly feel tighter or painful to wear, or you may notice slight changes in your smile when they’re off. Many patients wonder if by wearing them again they can correct these changes themselves, but because your retainer was designed to stabilize and not move your teeth, this doesn’t usually help.
If you notice that your teeth have shifted out of alignment, schedule an appointment with your orthodontist. You could require another treatment with braces or aligners to help guide your smile back into its ideal placement, but this can only be determined following an examination.
Remember, it’s important to wear your retainer as prescribed by your orthodontist. If you forget to do so, or choose not to, you can easily allow your teeth to shift back into their original positions, causing pain, sensitivity, and difficulties brushing and flossing.
To get your smile back on track, don’t rely on retainers to correct it. Schedule an evaluation with your orthodontist today!
About Our Practice
At Serenity Orthodontics, we are proud to help patients of all ages realign their smiles! If you have completed orthodontic treatment but haven’t been keeping up with your retainer, use as prescribed, your teeth may have already started to shift, and it’s time to visit us for an evaluation.
To schedule an appointment, please visit our website today to find the location nearest you.