What Is A Teeth Retainer?
A teeth retainer is a customized dental device that prevents teeth from shifting after wearing braces or clear aligners. During orthodontic treatment, teeth are guided into alignment to enhance your smile and correct bite issues. After the teeth reach the ideal positions, a dental retainer is used to maintain these results.
What Are The Benefits Of Retainers?
Committing to a dental retainer is beneficial for several reasons, including the following:
- Prevents teeth shifting: The most significant advantage of teeth retainers is protecting your new smile. Retainers keep your teeth straight by holding them in place and keeping them from shifting after braces come off.
- Saves time and money: By maintaining your results, a retainer will save you the time and money you may need to invest in further orthodontic treatment.
- Improves oral health: Straight teeth are easier to keep clean because there are fewer hard-to-reach places where bacteria can hide. A retainer holds teeth in alignment, which can improve oral hygiene and dental health over time.
- Boosts confidence: Crooked teeth can lead to feelings of embarrassment or self-consciousness. Because a retainer keeps your smile straight, it can help with your confidence and self-image.
When Are Retainers Necessary?
After orthodontic treatment, you will need to wear a retainer to keep your teeth aligned and help the bone around your teeth rebuild in this new position. The type of retainer you need and how long you must wear will vary from patient to patient. If you don’t wear a retainer after braces or clear aligners, teeth will typically begin to shift, and you will lose the progress you made.
