As soon as your braces have been removed, it’s a sign of relief, and you can finally enjoy a beautiful smile. However, it’s important to maintain your results for the rest of your life.
The only way to do this is to wear retainers, which will help to keep your teeth straight.
The question of how long you’ll need to wear a retainer is a common one. Still, the duration depends on factors such as how complicated your orthodontic treatment is and what your orthodontist recommends.
In this blog post, we’ll cover how to wear your retainer, including how long you need to wear it daily and factors that affect retainer wear & tear time.
Importance of Wearing Retainers
Retainers play a critical role in sustaining the results achieved with braces.
Understanding the importance of wearing retainers ensures that your orthodontic results last.
- Keep Teeth Aligned: Retainers help to hold your teeth in the new position braces have moved them. Without them, your teeth may start to move back to where they were before.
- Make Your Bite Stable: Retainers keep your teeth straight and your bite even to prevent problems with your teeth and jaw joints.
- Help Your Bones and Gums: When you have braces, the bones and gums around your teeth adjust to the new positions, and wearing a retainer helps them adapt and remain stable around your teeth, especially in the first few months after bracing.
- Prevent Teeth from Moving Back: If you don’t wear retainers as your orthodontist tells you to, your teeth might start moving back. This means you could lose the progress you made with braces.
How Long Do You Have To Wear Retainers?
Under some circumstances, your orthodontist will attach a Permanent Retainer to the back side of your teeth. Patients with these will always wear them, even when eating and brushing their teeth. This type of retainer can only be extracted by a dentist or orthodontist; when it is removed, patients are given a removable retainer to wear while they sleep.
However, most patients are given a set of retainers that are removable for eating and brushing their teeth. Orthodontists usually recommend wearing this for 6-9 months.
After that, you only need to wear your retainer at night. If your orthodontist agrees, you may be able to reduce this to 4 or 5 nights a week. However, you should continue to wear your retainer a few nights a week for proper care.
Do You Have to Wear the Retainers Forever?
Whether your orthodontist recommends a permanent or removable retainer, you will need to wear them for 6-9 months, but some people may need to wear them for up to 10 years, depending on the severity of their case.
Braces and aligners function by applying consistent pressure. The bones in your teeth remodel and change shape under this pressure, but some elasticity remains in the tissues.
Once constant pressure is removed, teeth may attempt to go back to their old positions. During the first six months, you must wear a retainer for at least 22 hours to safeguard your investment. Maintaining your teeth in their new positions is essential even after these critical times.
If you had teeth straightening treatment during your teenage years and wore your retainer for a decade after treatment, your dentist may consider discontinuing the use. However, wearing your retainer for life is advisable if you underwent teeth adjustments as an adult. The likelihood of teeth shifting is higher, especially as we age.
Can I Wear My Retainer Only at Night?
While wearing your retainer only at night might seem convenient, it is not enough to maintain the results of your orthodontic treatment. After the initial period of wearing your retainer full-time, you can switch to wearing them at night only.
However, relying only on nighttime wear may not offer sufficient results, causing unwanted tooth movement and instability in your dental alignment during the day. Moreover, nighttime-only wear might lead to less consistent maintenance, raising the risk of hygiene problems.
How Long Do Retainers Last?
Using a retainer is an important part of orthodontic treatment, and it protects the results of orthodontic treatment. How well you take care of your mouth, and your retainer will determine how long both removable and fixed retainers will last.
If you clean them regularly and avoid damaging them, both types of retainers can potentially last for years. The average lifespan of removable braces is about 5 to 10 years, while permanent braces may have a lifespan of decades.
Additionally, if you lose them, you’ll need replacements. Any orthodontist can make new retainers, so you don’t have to return to your original office if you move or your orthodontist retires.
If you have to change your retainer often, you can ask your dentist or orthodontist about getting a night guard. A night guard is thicker and more robust than a retainer and can keep your teeth in place like a retainer.
You should avoid foods that are hard or sticky, or that cause food particles to be stuck in braces. These foods risk damaging the brackets and making them difficult to clean.
Factors Affecting Retainer Wear Time
Understanding the following factors can help determine how long you must wear your retainers to maintain your newly straightened smile. Here’s what to consider
- Severity of Misalignment: Severe crowding or spacing may require a longer retention to prevent regression or shifting.
- Compliance and Consistency: How well you follow the instructions matter. Skipping days or not wearing the retainers for the recommended time can prolong the need for retainers.
- Bite Stability: Correcting bite issues like overbites or underbites may require extended retention to maintain alignment and function.
- Individual Healing and Tissue Response: Factors like oral health, bone density, and gum condition influence the healing process and duration of retainer use.
Learn More About Retainers with Orthodontic Experts
The instructions for wearing a retainer may vary depending on your specific needs. Some people may need to wear their retainer every day for 6 to 9 months, while others may need to wear it for 1 to 10 years.
Wearing a retainer, as recommended by your orthodontist, is important to keep your teeth straight after removing your braces.
So, if you’d like to learn more about retainers and how long you’ll need to wear them, don’t hesitate to contact our team of orthodontic specialists!
At Orthodontic Experts, we promise to provide you with a unique orthodontic experience. We aim to give you a beautiful smile and make your journey as comfortable and successful as possible. When you visit our facility, you will receive outstanding care and service from our team of experts. Trust Orthodontic Experts to help you get the confident smile you deserve.
Most orthodontists generally recommend that you wear a retainer every night indefinitely after your braces have been removed. This may seem like a long-term commitment, but protecting the investment you’ve made in your orthodontic treatment is important.
