Retainers

*Cited from a study by Kelton Research, LLC

Maintaining your results after braces can provide lasting effects for your social life as well as your oral health.

Usually, retainers are worn for as long as you had braces. For the first month, the risk of your teeth relapsing and moving back to their original position is very high. It can take up to a year for your teeth to completely stabilize. 

However, your teeth can still drift out of place and affect the symmetry of your smile even after the first year. As a result, many adults wear their retainers long after their treatment finishes. If you keep wearing it, your retainer can maintain a healthy, straight smile for a lifetime.

While many patients think of the old school plastic and wire retainers, there are many options available for maintaining your results after braces. Permanent retainers consist of thin metal wires bonded to the back of your teeth. With this type, no metal shows on your newly straightened smile. Another option is an Essix retainer, which is made from transparent, plastic-like material. This nearly invisible retainer fits comfortably over the top of your teeth and holds them in place without wires.

You went through a lot to straighten your smile with braces. Now you can make your results last with a custom dental retainer.