Having your braces removed after treatment is always a joyous event for patients—and parents too! However, maintaining your newly straightened teeth after orthodontic treatment can be just as important as caring for your teeth with braces. Neglecting your teeth after braces can reverse the work done by your orthodontist and ends up wasting all the time you spent perfecting your teeth.
Do yourself a favor after treatment and wear your retainer. The staff at Trapnell Orthodontics would hate to see our patients lose their great teeth, so remember to retain your perfect smile!
A Retainer’s Importance
Any time a patient has their braces removed, they must wear a retainer appliance to prevent their teeth from shifting back to their original position. When you don’t wear your retainer regularly, your teeth can and will begin shift. This is often the case with many patients, and whether they forget to wear their retainer or lose it, it results in losing their straight teeth.
Braces require time and money, and both are put to waste when you refrain from wearing your retainer. It’s not uncommon for patients to remove their retainer while eating and end up misplacing it. Often times, patients will wrap their retainer in a paper towel and forget, throwing it away later. It’s best to keep your retainer on you at all times. Use the plastic case the retainer comes with to store it while you eat.
Ask About a Fixed Retainer
Many parents are aware of how often their kids will actually wear their retainers, so they often ask about alternatives. Fixed retainers are a great option for maintaining your straight teeth after braces. Consisting of a thin wire, fixed retainers run across the back of your teeth to provide support 24/7. As with any retainer, some maintenance is required. Because these retainers are fixed to your teeth, a floss threader is necessary to thoroughly clean the gaps between them.
Maintain Your Retainer
Like we said, after orthodontic treatment, you’ll need to wear your retainer as your orthodontist advises, especially in the first month after treatment. From here, he may recommend you wear it full time for several months, then only at night from then on. Whichever the case, it’s important to properly maintain your retainer.
For removable retainers, we recommend cleaning it with something other than toothpaste, such as vinegar and water or mouth sore rinse. Toothpaste can harm the retainer and leave behind a sticky surface that’s prone to bacteria.
If you’re in need of braces or any other orthodontic appliance, Trapnell Orthodontics in Utah County is proud to serve patients in Provo, Payson, Spring Valley, and Spanish Fork. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or visit our website for a full list of services.
