Once you have completed orthodontic treatment to get your teeth where they need to, your orthodontist will likely recommend that you wear a retainer. This will help keep your teeth in the right place after you finish orthodontic treatment. It will also help with your bite.

Wear your retainer4 Reasons to Wear Your Retainer

We understand that you may be diligent in the beginning about following through with putting in your retainer, but then slowly you forget about it. Whether you just don’t wear your retainer because you simply forgot or have grown tired of this nightly routine.

If you don’t wear your retainer for a week, you may notice minor changes. Even in a week, your teeth may shift a little bit. This can cause small spaces and slight rotations.

If you don’t wear it for a month, the changes can reverse the work that has been done to your mouth. Your teeth can shift even more. You may notice that your alignment and bite start to go back to the way it was before you got orthodontic treatment. If you had an over, under, or crossbite, it could start to come back within a month of not wearing your retainer.

If you don’t wear your retainer for a year (or even more), you could undo all of the orthodontic work you have done. Your teeth will continue to move back into the position that they were in before you got your treatment. Also, as people age, their teeth tend to move inward. If you have had orthodontic treatment and don’t wear your retainer, you may notice that your teeth do this sooner than those who have not had any work done on their mouth.

So, if you have gone through treatment to give yourself a healthier smile, you need to wear your retainer to keep it that way. Otherwise, you are just wasting your money in the first place!

Come See Us In Central Wichita!

Dr. Gorantla would love to meet you! We offer all types of orthodontic services like traditional and ceramic braces, Invisalign and TMJ treatments. For more information, call us at 316-684-5184, or fill out an online contact form, and we will make sure to get back to you! We can’t wait to meet you and your families and help you all achieve the smile of your dreams! Thank you for choosing Smiles Orthodontics.