Congratulations! You’ve reached that magical place you never thought you’d see – the day you’re no longer wearing braces, and are instead sporting a beautiful, white, brilliant smile.
However, once your braces are removed, if you don’t work on retaining your smile you stand at risk of losing all the hard work you and your orthodontist put in together to achieve your straight smile.
So let’s take a look at some things you should do to retain your smile.
Wearing a retainer helps to hold your teeth in their new alignment while the periodontal ligaments gradually adapt to their final alignment. In most cases you will need to use a retainer for about as long as you had braces. If you don’t wear your retainer during the prescribed times, or it is damaged, it might increase the amount of time you need to use it.
At Schouten Orthodontics you can be fitted for a retainer during the same session where your braces are removed. The orthodontist might want to take few x-rays and take an impression or your bite pattern.
The most common type of retainer is known as a Hawley-style retainer. This is a thin acrylic piece molded to the shape of the roof of your mouth and attaches to your teeth with wires.
When you first start wearing a retainer, your mouth might produce more saliva for a few days. This is natural and after a while your mouth will adapt and things will return to normal. You should expect to wear your retainer for about as long as you were wearing braces.
If you have any questions or concerns about wearing your retainer, please get in touch with us today at 435.637.0820. We’re more than happy to answer your questions.
