If you have been wearing aligners and are near to end of your treatment, you may wonder if you will have to wear retainers. Answer is yes, it is recommended to use them after aligner treatment is done.

You need to follow following schedule:

-       22hours for first 6-7 months after treatment

-       15-16 hours for next 6 months

-       overnight use after one year and more.

This time schedule can vary depending on your case complexity before orthodontic treatment.

Retainers help strengthen the underlying jaw bone and supporting structures like ligaments too. While aligner treatment not only teeth change position but also bone and connective tissue around it changes. Wearing retainers helps stabilize the new position of teeth until new bone configuration is completed.

Aligner treatment has 2 important phases:

Active phase:

When you start wearing aligner trays gentle force is applied which helps in movement of teeth. Further the forces applied also cause changes in your supporting tissues around your teeth which include jaw bone, gums and ligaments. As tissue and bone remodeling occurs, bone breaks down, the ligaments stretch and teeth begin to move toward the direction of force applied.

Retention phase:

After aligner treatment teeth are brought in proper alignment and their final position. But due to force application the bone around teeth is still softened, it takes time for complete mineralization. Hence to stabilize teeth in this position retention phase is required which is obtained by using retainers. Wearing retainers after aligners is the only way your teeth will stay in the position they were when aligner treatment was finished.

In initial 5-6 months you need to wear them for maximum amount of time like 20-22hrs, later gradually shift to 15-16 hours for another 6 months. After a year just 3-5 times a week is fine.

There are two main types of retainers:

Fixed:

It consists of thin, metal wire bonded on the back of your front teeth. These retainers stay permanent and offer extra assurance that your teeth won’t move even after you have stopped wearing aligners.

As they are placed on back of your teeth, so no one will be able to see you are wearing them. This is especially preferred with people who had crowding in or spaces between their front teeth.

 They are even easy to clean; normal brushing using toothbrush can help keeping them clean, so no worries about maintaining oral hygiene.

Removable:

They come in 2 forms:

The traditional wire retainer called Wrap around retainer- it consist of custom resin plate that rests on your roof of mouth and a thin metal wire that cover your front teeth extending till your back teeth.

Clear retainer that looks like aligner tray called as Essix retainer- these are made from plastic durable material which slips over your teeth just like aligners and are equally comfortable as aligners.

There is one modification with these removable retainers which are advised to patients with any habit like thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, mouth breathing etc. which might affect their post results of aligner treatment making their teeth shift back to original position. The appliance has resin plate with metal wire around front teeth with additional habit breaking appliances (palatal crib, oral screen etc.) incorporated in it.

Advantage of removable retainers are that they can be easily removed while brushing, flossing or when eating.

Now that you have completed your aligner treatment, we can understand the reluctance you may feel to wear yet another appliance in your mouth.

However, it is important to use retainers after treatment for at least 9-12 months so that your teeth don’t move back to their original position till the new bone formation is completed.

While you may not see your teeth moving immediately, the changes become more noticeable over time. For example, your retainer may feel tight or uncomfortable or may not fit if you haven’t worn it for some days. The fit will be proper as long as you are wearing them regularly.

It is normal for your teeth to slightly move after you are done with aligner treatment. This is result of everyday wear and tear of your teeth as you chew, bite, speak and swallow. The retainer is designed in such a way that it prevents the noticeable changes so that you can maintain your beautiful smile.

After 12 months make a visit to your orthodontist, if he feels you might need fixed bondable retainers placed on back side of your front teeth for permanent retention. Metal wire is bonded on back side of your front teeth, so that teeth are held firmly in their position so that chances of relapse are very less.

If you have looked for few hours but still cannot find your retainers, just give a call to your orthodontist as soon as possible and schedule an appointment. You don’t want to lose the progress you have made with aligner treatment.

During your appointment, your dentist will take impressions of your teeth so that new retainers can be fabricated out of it. If he already has your impressions he might proceed with them to create new retainers.

Once you receive your new retainer, pop it in. if your teeth did shift a bit during the wait then don’t worry the new retainer will slowly move the teeth back again.

Here are few easy ways to keep your retainer safe:

-       After removing always keep it in a case or box filled with water so that retainers are completely soaked.

-       Never keep it in napkin or tissue.

-       Keep away from pets.

-       Decide a place where you will keep them and follow that.

By the time your retainers are being given for fabrication, you can keep wearing the last stage of aligners so that no relapse takes place and teeth are maintained in position.

Yes you can definitely get teeth whitening after aligner treatment.

After several months of wearing aligners, you finally have a straight, well-aligned smile you want to flaunt of. You will also want your teeth to look bright and white, teeth whitening is the solution for that. It could give you a boost of confidence it needs for you to truly look at your best.

There are few reasons why you might consider teeth whitening after aligner treatment:

-       For past several months, your teeth looked a little bulky, cloudy due to aligner. Now that you no longer need to wear them, teeth whitening can help you show off your natural smile.

-       Proper aligned teeth are easy to clean. Now that your teeth are in their proper positions, you can brush or floss them thoroughly to maintain the results of teeth whitening.

You must definitely go for teeth cleaning after your aligner treatment has completed.

It is usually recommended to do teeth cleaning procedure after aligners because even though aligners can be removed for brushing and flossing, to get noticeable result of treatment people tend to wear them for maximum amount of time and avoid removing them even for cleaning teeth, hence stains, plaque or tartar can get accumulated on teeth surface which should be removed so that it doesn’t further affect your gums and other tissues.

Teeth cleaning help remove all plaque, stains or hard deposits settled on your teeth giving you a clean and healthy smile. It gives extra shine and glow to your teeth and makes them look brighter and whiter.

Now that you are done with your aligner treatment you would like to get the fillings done in your teeth that have cavities in them. Yes you can get your filling done after treatment but make sure you do it before you proceed for the retainers.

Because fillings is tooth modification procedure where it involves changing your teeth shape as the decayed portion is removed and replaced by tooth colored material, in that case get your teeth filled and then go for retainers.

Yes, you can, there are no such dietary restrictions you need to follow while wearing retainer but only thing you need to make sure is to remove them and then eat or drink, rinse your mouth thoroughly and retainer as well then wear it again. As far as any drink is concerned it is ok if you drink plain water with retainers in, but for other you must remove it first and then have drink of your choice.

This routine should be followed daily along with brushing and flossing of your teeth at least twice a day for maintaining proper oral hygiene.

Over time, it is possible that your retainer might stop fitting properly. This means the retainer has either become distorted or that your teeth have shifted likely due to irregular use of retainers.

If you can’t comfortably place the retainer in your mouth, don’t force it: you might hurt your teeth or gums surrounding it or it can also deform your retainer.

If this happens very often, schedule an appointment with your orthodontist. During your visit, they will examine your teeth and retainers to identify the issue. If required adjustment is done in your retainer so that it fits again or replaced if it is no longer fitting.

Adjustments can be done only if you have Hawley retainer to fit again in your mouth. But in case of clear essix retainers, you should try using chewie –the one which is also used for placement of aligners as well, if this also doesn’t work then they might need to take impressions of your teeth and fabricate new set of retainers.

No matter if you wear a retainer following aligner treatment, since they can be removed, it can be difficult to remember to put them back in. Initially use of retainer may cause soreness, tightness or even hurt to some extent. This feeling usually go once you start using it regularly as you get used to it. If this still persists after continue usage, then it is best to contact your orthodontist.

If the feeling is different than tightness or pressure then there may be chances that metal wire or plastic in retainer is irritating your gums or cheeks. This could be from sharp edges or strayed wire. In that case, make a visit to your orthodontist, so that he/she can fix the problem by polishing and smoothening of sharp edges and your retainer is as good as it was before.