Orthodontics - Dental Retainers

Dental Retainers

Dental retainers are orthodontic appliances used to hold a patient's teeth in place after the corrective orthodontic treatment has finished. The orthodontic retainers hold the teeth in their new correct position as the surrounding gums and bone adjust and reform around them, until they are totally stable.

Teeth retainers are made from plastic and stainless steel wire and can be either removable (Hawley, Essix) or fixed. They are custom made orthodontic devices, designed carefully for each individual patient based on a mold of the teeth.

Dental retainers can also be used to treat more minor orthodontic problems such as a small gap or a single slightly misaligned tooth.

Why you need Orthodontic Retainers? - How Dental Retainers work?

When dental braces are removed, the re-positioned teeth have a natural tendency to move back towards their original positions. The purpose of dental retainers is to prevent it by holding teeth to their new positions.

As a child’s jaw and teeth continue to grow after the completion of orthodontic treatment, if a dental retainer is not used, the relative positions of teeth may change again causing new misalignments.

Even if the orthodontic treatment has finished, the jaw bone around the moved teeth might not be yet completely reformed. The orthodontic retainers ‘secure’ the tooth until the jaw bone has formed to keep the tooth stable.

Proper use of dental retainers after the orthodontic treatment will help maintain a lifetime of healthy, beautiful smiles.

For how long do I have to wear a dental retainer

Orthodontists recommend that the use of dental retainers must start immediately after the braces are removed. Most retainers should be worn 24 hours a day for the first week, and afterwards only at night during sleep. After removing the dental braces, the orthodontist will instruct each patient when to wear the retainer based on the individual’s needs.

- They should not be worn during sports, while eating any food or while drinking staining or acidic beverages -

The retainers generally have to be worn regularly for a period of 6 months to a year, and then worn periodically (typically during sleep) for as long as the orthodontist recommends. The amount of time the retainer must be worn varies, but many orthodontists recommend teenagers wear their retainers into their early 20s.

If a patient does not wear the retainer as recommended, the teeth might move towards their original position (relapse).

Problems related to Orthodontic Retainers

For the first days of wearing a teeth retainer, the patient could feel some discomfort. The mouth may feel sore for a few days. If the retainer causes pain or rubs against your gums, it should be taken to the orthodontist for adjustment in order to fit properly.

Increased salivation is also usually noticed. The dental retainer, as a foreign body in the mouth, may irritate the salivary glands to produce more saliva.

Speech may also be affected the first few days of wearing retainers but it will quickly return to normal as the tongue’s movements are adjusted to the presence of the retainer.

Teeth retainers must be removed during sports to prevent damage.

Proper regular cleaning of the dental retainers is very important to prevent the accumulation of dental plaque on the retainer’s surface.

Different types of dental retainers

The best-known type is the Hawley retainer, which is made of a metal wire that surrounds the teeth and keeps them in place. It is anchored in a specially-molded acrylic arch that sits in the palate or floor of the mouth.

Another common type of orthodontic retainers is the Essix retainer. This clear or transparent dental retainer fits over the entire arch of teeth and is similar in appearance to Invisalign trays.

A different category of orthodontic retainers are fixed retainers. A fixed retainer typically consists of a passive wire bonded to the tongue-side of the lower incisors. Unlike the other orthodontic retainer types, they can not be removed by the patient.