Do I need to wear my retainers for Ever!?!


Question: Do I need to wear my retainers for Ever!.?
i have had braces and now i am wearing reatainers, iv'e been wearing the retainers for about a year now but a couple of months back the orthadontist said to keep them on for 2 nights a week for as long as possible! I don't now how long he means by that. I havent wore them for 2 weeks now and im afraid if i stop wearing them my teeth are going to go back to the way they were before. Health Question & Answer


Answers:
Hi,

Do you need retainers after braces .?

Yes, you do. If you are so patient to get the braces done, might as well spend the time in wearing retainers. From all of the other answerers testimonies you know by now that if you don't use retainers, there will be a relapse. So, don't let the time, money and energy invested in the treatment go to waste.

Why do you need the retainers .?

If you ever saw a diagram of a tooth you would notice that a tooth is held inside the socket of the bone. However, there are delicate fiber like tissue called the periodontal ligaments that hold the teeth into proper position. Those ligaments allow certain physiological (within normal limit) movement when we chew food. In other words, produces a cushion like effect.

That is excatly why the braces work. If teeth were fused to the bone, no tooth movement could be achieved. So, braces achieve that desired effect by pulling or pushing the teeth in a planned way. All the while, those ligaments on one side get compressed and the opposite side get stretched.

Interesting fact is that these ligaments come with own memory like the muscle fibers or a rubber band or a titanium spring. If you let it go, it will have a tendency to go back to its original position. That is why even after getting done with the braces, you do need to get retainers.

What kind of retainers are most widely used .?

Many people get the removable retainers that you use mainly at night. The problem with those is if you go on a trip and forget to take those with you, you're doomed. By the time you come back and try to put those in, your teeth have already shifted and those do not go in anymore....talking about disaster !

Is there any way around it .?

Yes. Some orthodontists these days use a wire retainer that can be bonded on the back side of the bottom front teeth. those are not very obvious. You should look into that. You can get that placed and forget about everything else.

If you check, you'll see that your top teeth always overlap the bottom teeth, and the fact is that teeth mostly have a tendency to shift to the front. So, once you get the lingual wire retainer in the lower anterior region, the back bottom teeth stay fixed in their position. also, because the top front teeth rest on the bottom teeth front teeth, they remain stable. The rest of the top teeth don't shift by the same mechanism described for the bottom back teeth.

Should you get charged for the retainer .?

No, it is a standard practice. Therefore, the total cost of the orthodontic treatment should include the cost for the retainer.

I know the answer was way too elaborate, but I hope I was able to help you. Good luck !

Note : Sometimes if your teeth are rotated and braces move it the other way (i.e., de-rotate it), the orthodontist may have to resect the periodontal ligament fibers to prevent relapse on top of inserting a retainer. Otherwise, relapse may become inevitable.Health Question & Answer

i had retainers for a over a year, your teeth will move back if you take them out nnow, but the reason you have retainers is to make sure they dont move any more and for the gums to harden. he means wear them in bed, so from when you brush your teeth to when you wake up.

you may notice cos you havent woren them they may be a bit tight but thats ok, just wear them like he says, cos he knows what hes on aboutHealth Question & Answer

Don't worry, you wont have to wear them forever. But the orthodontist just doesn't want your teeth to form back into the shape they were so that you will have to go through all that per-lava of getting the braces again... Just simply do as your told to get them brilliant model teeth and im sure after a bit more time, you'll be able to stop wearing them... Just remember your wearing them for a good cause!
also..
Dont hesitate, If you have any questions, dont hide them away, always talk to your orthodontist cos' they get questions like that all the time!

Hope this helped. =)Health Question & Answer

My dentist instructed me after I got braces to wear retainers until I was about 18. Around age 18 your teeth stop moving and you should be fine. If you are over 18 then you should probably wear them for about a year.

also, if you have not gotten your wisdom teeth removed you should consider that. My wisdom teeth started coming out this summer and by the time I scheduled an appointment and got them pulled my teeth had already shifted and my retainers no longer fit. All this in about 1 month.Health Question & Answer

That's possible I stopped wearing mine and my teeth started to space so much I had to go back into braces for a year. My orthodontist advises to wear it at night for about 10-12 hours while u are asleep. He says to for at least 3 to 5 years because your teeth can space. If they bother u that much ask your orthodontist about wearing a permanent retainer it sits in back of your teeth is is invisible to all, its basically a wire permanently mounted, at least then u won't have to worry about it.Health Question & Answer

In the past I wore my retainer for 4 years the only time I would take it out would be if I would be eating. My orthodontist said I don't need it anymore and it turned out my teeth spaced out anyways. I had to go back to braces for another 1 and a half years. Now I have an invisible retainer. If the retainer you have no bothers you I suggest getting an invisible retainer.Health Question & Answer

They told me to wear it for a year I think, I've had them for 6 years now. This is because my wisdom teeth are trying to grow, but don't have space. so if I don't wear my retainers, my teeth will shift (so,what will be they point of having braces .?) I think your doctor said it for this reason. So what I will do is have my wisdom teeth removed and then probably have invisalign. Ask your doctor, for more info (ask him about the wisdom teeth)


Good luck!Health Question & Answer

well my brother and i have both had braces and i am still wearing them every night becuase it hasnt been year yet but my brother has done year and he has to wear them 2 nights for a year then one night of the week then thats it.
thats my brother though it might be different for you.
:)
Health Question & Answer

No, im sure you wont have to wear them forever! Dont worry, he knows what he is talking about, when he thinks your able to stop wearing them, he will tell you. I am sure you wont have to wear a retainer for ever! xHealth Question & Answer

No. dont worry. You'll wear them until your orthodontist decides that your teeth are as good as they're going to get. Stick with it, it'll be worth it in the end when you've got wonderfully straight teethHealth Question & Answer

For ever ever.?
For ever ever!!
For ever ever.?.?!!
For ever ever!!!

Your teeth ... ie your palette will shift back....not over night but over time.Health Question & Answer

idk i was told till 18 or 21 er i wanna know the answer too sorry but it's not for the rest of ur life teeth stop moving after a certain age Health Question & Answer

i wear mine at night and take it off duringthe day, its fine because it doesnt bother me, but i dono if its foreverHealth Question & Answer



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