
The fit should be snug yet comfortable over your teeth. When you get your retainer after your braces come off, it shouldn’t hurt. That’s why most dental providers prescribe the use of a teeth retainer after braces come off. They can become crooked, crowded or misaligned. If you don’t wear your retainer, your teeth will shift and move. What happens if I don’t wear my retainer? With the long-term use of a teeth retainer, all the hard work you put into getting and wearing braces pays off. Using a retainer keeps your teeth in the correct position so the results last. When your provider takes off your braces, your teeth are perfectly aligned. What are the advantages of using a retainer? You don’t have to wait for a laboratory to create the retainer. But you leave the dental office with your retainer in place.
#Wraparound retainer software#
Next, a computer software program stitches those images together, creating a three-dimensional model of your mouth. During this process, your dental provider simply uses a handheld wand to capture images of your teeth and gums. Digital impressions are an alternative to the traditional impressions mentioned above. Note: Many dental offices take digital impressions. You typically wait a week or more before getting the retainer. A dental laboratory uses the mold to create a plastic (or acrylic) teeth retainer.It takes one or two minutes to take an impression of your mouth. This imprints your unique bite and teeth layout into the putty. They put the putty in trays, then insert the trays over your teeth.Your provider takes a dental impression of your teeth using dental putty, a soft material similar to play dough.The process for making the retainer for your teeth depends on which type you get. Clear retainers (Essix) are also plastic but don’t have any wires. Traditional (Hawley) retainers have a piece of wire attached to plastic (or acrylic). Removable retainers can go in and out of your mouth. These are often used on the front, lower or upper teeth to keep them from coming apart or shifting over time.

You can’t remove this type of retainer yourself. What are fixed retainers?įixed retainers (also called permanent retainers) stay on your teeth with a glue-like bonding agent. The purpose of all types of retainers is to make your alignment last for years. You could have both types at the same time. Many dental providers use a combination of fixed and permanent retainers to keep teeth straight.

They help your teeth “retain” their position. Think of it this way: Braces straighten your teeth, but your retainer keeps them that way. Wearing a retainer helps keep your teeth in the correct place, so they don’t move. Once the braces come off, nothing is keeping your teeth from moving back to their previous position. Your braces kept your teeth in a straight position for a long time.

This is when your upper and lower teeth don’t align with your mouth closed. Shifting teeth can also lead to malocclusion. Everyday habits like chewing and grinding apply forces to your teeth and can move them. This doesn’t happen until the gums, bones and muscles get used to the change. What do retainers do for teeth?Įven after braces made your teeth straight, they aren’t completely firm in their new position. It helps keep your teeth in their new, correct position after braces. What is a retainer?Ī teeth retainer is a custom-made device you wear in your mouth over your teeth. A teeth retainer helps your teeth stay in their corrected position after wearing braces.
