Retainers for teeth straightening - what are they and are they essential

 

 

When you first decide to get your teeth straightened, you may spend most of your time figuring out what method you want to use. Should you go for treatment with clear aligners like the Invisalign^® system, or do you go with something traditional like metal or ceramic braces?

What often gets forgotten is your choice of retainer that comes after your teeth-straightening treatment. Let's look at what retainers for after teeth straightening are, the different kinds of retainers, and why they are an essential part of protecting your straighter smile (and investment!) after treatment.

What are retainers and what do they do? 

 

When you first start to straighten your teeth, whether it’s with traditional braces, lingual braces, or clear aligners, you are essentially changing the positioning of your teeth. This means your teeth need time to adjust to their new positions¹.

Throughout your teeth-straightening journey, your teeth will of course become straighter, but those ligaments and muscle tissues need a little more time to adapt to their new, more aligned teeth positions.

This is where a retainer comes in — it's the device you wear after your teeth-straightening treatment to keep your teeth in their new straightened alignment.

A retainer helps to keep your teeth in their new positions while your ligaments, muscles, and roots adjust². Without a retainer, your teeth will want to move back toward their original positions. It essentially acts as a "reminder" for your teeth, helping them stay in the new position.

In essence, a retainer is a final tool you use in your teeth straightening journey to ensure a lifelong straighter smile.

Do I have to wear my retainer after braces or Invisalign treatment?

The short answer is yes; you do have to wear your retainer after braces or Invisalign treatment, or any other teeth-straightening method. Even if you've had the most minor tooth adjustments, it's still essential that you wear a retainer to hold your teeth in their new positions.

The ligaments and muscles take time to adjust to their new positions — without a retainer, over time your teeth will start to move back to where they were before. This can undo the months of progress you had worked towards, not to mention your investment.

This is why your orthodontist or dentist will give you a retainer at the end of your treatment. They understand how important it is to maintain your new smile, and a retainer is the best way to do that.

How long do you have to wear a retainer for?

As with all things related to teeth straightening, how long you will have to wear your retainer will depend on your individual needs, and is something you will need to discuss with your dentist or orthodontist.

As an example³ though, your dentist might instruct you to wear your retainer full time for a period of time, and then only at night time (or even just a few nights per week).

What are the different types of retainers?

There are a few different types of retainers that you can choose from. The type of retainer you choose will likely be based on your preference and the recommendation of your orthodontist or dentist.

The most common types of retainers are:

Wire retainers

Wire retainers⁴ are the most common type of retainer. They are made from a combination of wire and acrylic, fitting at the back of your teeth — with the acrylic part being moulded to the roof of the mouth/palate.

The retainer's wire part helps keep your teeth in place, while the acrylic part sits against your palate. Similar to clear retainers, wire retainers are usually removable, which means you can take them out to eat, drink, brush your teeth, etc.

They can feel a little bit invasive and chunky at first, as they are quite big. This size can also affect the way you speak, which shouldn't be much of an issue as you'd normally wear them at night. In some cases, people have also been shown to adjust to the retainer and start to talk normally again in a short while⁵.

Permanent retainers

Also called “fixed retainers” or “bonded retainers⁶”, permanent retainers are just that — they are fixed or bonded to the back of your teeth, usually your lower teeth. They are usually made from a thin wire that is fastened to the back of your teeth.

Permanent retainers can be less noticeable than other retainers, but they are not always an option depending on your teeth straightening journey. They also only retain the teeth that they are bonded to, meaning that the rest of the teeth that are not bonded can still shift. Finally, maintaining hygiene for the bonded teeth is challenging and the area is prone to plaque buildup. Some patients also find permanent retainers uncomfortable.⁷

Clear retainers

Clear retainers are made from a clear medical-grade plastic material. They fit over your teeth for an almost invisible and comfortable retainer option. The type of plastic material will vary, as will the quality and comfort of each brand of clear retainer.

Vivera retainers, for example, are from the makers of Invisalign clear aligners, which means you’ll get the same virtually invisible look, all while having a retainer that is custom fit for your mouth and teeth. Vivera retainers are 30% stronger and twice as durable as other leading clear retainers⁸, all while being made to be as comfortable as possible⁹. After all, you'll mostly be wearing them at night, so we want you to have a good night's sleep! It also means your Vivera retainer has a longer lifespan, and you won’t have the hassle of reordering new ones all the time.

Vivera retainers aren’t just popular with our patients alone — dentists who have used Vivera are more satisfied with Vivera retainers than with other retainers¹⁰. Best of all, you can benefit from Vivera retainers whether you previously had Invisalign treatment, traditional braces or other teeth straightening methods.

So, there you have it — a quick course on retainers for post-teeth straightening! Wearing a retainer is vital for maintaining your new smile after teeth straightening treatment. Whether you've had traditional braces or Invisalign, a retainer helps to keep your teeth in their new, corrected position.

Be sure to ask your dentist or orthodontist about what type of retainer is best for you, and how long you'll need to wear one. And if you're looking for a comfortable, almost invisible retainer option, Invisalign's Vivera clear retainers may be the best solution for you.

If you would like to book a consultation with our team to see if Vivera retainers are right for you, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our Smile Concierge via completing free assessment.