The Importance of Wearing Your Retainer

 While braces help individuals align their teeth, the importance of wearing a retainer comes with maintaining the new positions of the teeth. An orthodontist often recommends retainers to ensure the positions of the aligned teeth are intact after braces are removed. Teeth retainers are a type of oral appliances that help maintain the aligned positions of teeth after an orthodontic procedure. 

Dentists use teeth retainers following orthodontic treatments such as clear aligners or braces. Therefore, teeth retainers help maintain the results after braces or aligners. Retainers can be removable or fixed. They are designed to provide essential support for the teeth, gums, and jawbone as they adapt to their new positions.


This blog discusses the importance of wearing a retainer and how it can benefit an individual who has undergone an orthodontic treatment.


Understanding the Importance of Wearing a Retainer

Teeth retainers are often used to maintain the results achieved through orthodontic treatment. Therefore, you should follow the orthodontist's recommendations to ensure the teeth remain in its corrected positions. Neglecting to wear retainers as instructed by your dentist can lead to relapse. Additionally, you may require further treatment to correct the shifting teeth. Now, let’s delve into the importance of wearing a retainer. 


Here are some benefits of wearing a retainer you should be aware of. 


  1. Helps Your Teeth Stay Aligned 

It takes a while for your teeth to settle perfectly into their new positions. A retainer helps your teeth, jaw bone, and gum tissue adapt to the changes after orthodontic treatment with ease. Hence, orthodontists always recommend a retainer after braces or aligners to help your teeth not move out of alignment.


  1. Promotes Good Oral Health

The importance of wearing a retainer is not limited to perfecting your smile but goes to minimizing oral health issues. Wearing a retainer ensures your teeth are well-aligned and maintained for optimal oral hygiene practices. Therefore, it reduces the risk of dental and oral health issues such as tooth decay or gum disease, optimizing your oral health. 


  1. Helps Avoid Clenching

One of the benefits of wearing a retainer is helping you get rid of the habit of clenching. Most individuals may develop the habit of clenching their jaw once they stop wearing braces or clear aligners. Dr. Sam Wise suggests retainers to help you avoid problems of teeth grinding and clenching post-orthodontic treatment. 


  1. Prevents Teeth Relapse

After you stop wearing braces or clear aligners, your teeth tend to shift back to their original positions. So, wearing a teeth retainer is essential in preventing teeth relapse. Want to know how it works?  Retainers help the surrounding gums, ligaments, and bones adjust to the new alignment and ensure your teeth stay in place.


  1. Perfects Alignment and Bite

Individuals can maintain the alignment and bite they achieved after wearing braces or clear aligners by wearing retainers. Wearing a retainer consistently recommended by your dentist helps your aligned teeth adapt to their new positions and benefit from its results. 


What are the Risks of Not Wearing a Retainer?


Neglecting to wear a retainer after your orthodontist has recommended one can invite many oral and dental troubles. So, after you have removed your braces or aligners and achieved beautiful results, the journey doesn't end here. The importance of wearing a retainer should be paramount if you want to enjoy the long-lasting benefits of a healthy smile. 


In this section, let's look at the risks of not wearing a retainer after orthodontic procedure. 


Causes Bite Problems

Failure to wear a retainer can lead to difficulty chewing, jaw pain, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. These issues can be painful and expensive, highlighting the importance of wearing a retainer.


Increases the Risk of Gum Disease

Not wearing a retainer can shift your teeth to its original misaligned position. It makes oral hygiene maintenance challenging. Hence, it becomes difficult to clean misaligned, resulting in an increased risk of plaque buildup, tooth decay, and gum disease. 


Leads to Costly Treatments

By not wearing a retainer, you may get your hands off the results achieved through your orthodontic treatment. Therefore, necessitating additional orthodontic procedures. You can avoid costly treatments by diligently wearing your retainer as recommended. 


Conclusion

Many people underestimate the importance of wearing a retainer after orthodontic treatment. Hope this blog helps you understand the benefits of wearing a retainer to keep your newly aligned teeth intact in its new position. To conclude, it is essential to follow your orthodontist's instructions while wearing a retainer. Consistent usage of the retainer will ensure you enjoy the benefits of your orthodontic treatment for longer years. So, maintain the results of your newly aligned smile with retainers. 


Dr. Sam Wise (DDS, MOM, MSc, and MDS) is one of the leading orthodontists known to provide personalized cosmetic dentistry treatments. He has extensive knowledge of orthodontics and got you covered with smile restoration solutions to help you achieve a beautiful smile. 



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