Whether
you had metal braces, clear braces or Invisalign aligners,
you will need to wear retainers after treatment. At first, you may be required
to wear your retainer 3 to 6 months for 12-22 hours per day. This is based on
many factors including the severity of your initial problem and your age. If
the retainer is worn properly in the first 3 to 6 months, patients can begin to
only wear them at night.
Why 12 months?
Your teeth are housed in your jawbones and when you undergo
orthodontic treatment, you are pushing the teeth into a new position. In order
for the tooth to move into a new position, it needs to have bone on the one
side disappear or soften. Once the tooth is in the new position, new bone is
deposited around the tooth to help it stabilize in its new position. This
process of depositing new bone can take 9 to 12 months.
After
12 months, we recommend wearing your retainers 3-5 times a week for as long as
you live because your teeth continue to slowly shift forward and inward as we
get older. This movement occurs very slowly and in general takes decades to
occur. However, it can be prevented through continued and consistent wear of
retainers.
So, wear your retainer folks. Lost a retainer? Call the
office and we’ll replace it! 210.354.3131
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