Many patients believe that once they get their braces off or no longer have to wear Invisalign aligners, their results are permanent. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth and teeth do have the potential to shift back into their original positions. This is particularly true if patients fail to wear their retainers as prescribed.
After patients have completed their braces treatment, Dr. Gladwell often encourages them to wear a retainer for 12 to 14 hours a day and only remove their retainer for meals. Following this advice is especially important during the first month after braces are off as this is when the risk of relapse is the greatest. During this period, your teeth will likely want to shift so it’s essential that you wear your retainer as prescribed.
In many cases, patients are permitted to wear their retainer only at night after a few months of wearing it for 12 to 14 hours a day. After about a year, many patients retain the position of their teeth by wearing their retainers for a few nights a week.
Recently, a few patients at our office have asked us whether wearing a retainer will shift their teeth back. The answer to this question is “no.” A retainer actually has the opposite effect and will keep the teeth in their proper positions.
Contact Gladwell Orthodontics
If you have further questions on retainers and how they may affect your teeth, don’t hesitate to call our office today at 919-453-6325.
