When My Braces Come Off Will I Need To Wear A Retainer?

A retainer is an appliance that is made of plastic and is removable from the teeth without a visit to the family dentist or the orthodontist.

After wearing braces to move the teeth into proper alignment, when the braces have done their function and are taken off the teeth the orthodontist will recommend wearing a retainer. This will help the teeth to stay in the proper alignment without the braces and will be worn until the teeth will no longer move. This is because the teeth can shift after the removal of braces that moved them into the proper alignment and kept them there until they are removed from the teeth.

The retainer will be made much in the same way that the visit to the orthodontist began before the braces were placed on the teeth. Usually a set of x-rays will be taken, then the teeth will be molded this will give the proper impression of the alignment of the teeth for the retainer to be molded to fit properly. The retainer is made of rubber and will have clear plastic and metal wires; the wire will go over the outside of the teeth. This will hold the teeth in place until the gums, the teeth and the bones adapt to the change in the alignment making it permanent. The retainer can be something that will need to be worn for an extended amount of time because even after an extended amount of time teeth can shift.