Retainers

After the time, costs, and discomfort of aligning your teeth with orthodontic treatment, you don’t want your teeth to shift around and compromise the results. This is why Patricia Tran, DDS, MSD, PA, gives you a retainer after treatments like braces or clear aligners at Discover Orthodontics in Katy, Texas. To start your orthodontic treatment or continue with a long-lasting retainer, call Discover Orthodontics or book a consultation online right away.

What are retainers?

Retainers are orthodontic appliances you’ll wear after braces, clear aligners, and other orthodontic treatments. Wearing them keeps your teeth in place, as your teeth can shift back into misalignment over time. Consistent retainer use gives the bone around your teeth the chance to rebuild and solidify the results. 

The team uses impressions of your teeth from a 3D scanner or traditional impression tray to create the device after deciding which type of retainer to give you based on your personal preferences, oral health, and your reason for needing orthodontic treatment in the first place. 

Which type of retainer should I get?

There are two types of retainer you can get after orthodontic treatment at Discover Orthodontics. The team may recommend:

A fixed retainer

Fixed retainers are in your mouth permanently, and you can’t remove them without an orthodontist’s assistance. The team bonds a wire to the backsides of your teeth to hold them in place.

A removable retainer

Removable retainers are exactly that; they can come out for eating and cleaning. Some removable retainers are similar to clear aligners, made of transparent plastic that goes over your arch. Others consist of a plastic piece that rests against the roof of your mouth with a wire that wraps around the arch. 

Most patients get a combination of fixed and removable retainers (one on the top and one on the bottom). They are individual treatments.

What’s it like to wear a retainer?

It can take a little time to get used to the feeling of having a retainer in your mouth. It might feel tight or even slightly uncomfortable initially as you adjust to using it. You should wear your removable retainer as instructed, which could be every day for months or years. Eventually, your orthodontist may advise you to wear it only at night. 

You may take out your removable retainer when you eat or brush your teeth. This means you might not have to adhere to the same eating restrictions and guidelines you had with braces, but you should still avoid hard or sticky foods if you have a fixed retainer. 

You must clean your teeth after every meal before putting the removable retainer back in, and clean the removable retainer itself using a soft-bristled toothbrush. You can also soak it in a cleaner to kill bacteria. 

Retainers guarantee long-lasting orthodontic results. Call Discover Orthodontics or book a treatment consultation online today.