The day those braces come off — or you wear your last set of aligners — might feel like a party! And it’s definitely a reason to smile big and celebrate. But, while the hard part is over, your orthodontic dentistry journey doesn’t quite end there.

There’s a very important party favor you need to take home to keep up the appearance of your beautiful smile — and that is your retainers. No matter what type of orthodontic work you’ve had, this custom-made oral appliance is almost always necessary to maintain the alignment of your newly straightened teeth.

Today, we’re answering three of the most common questions we get about retainers.

Once you have completed the braces or aligners part of your orthodontic treatment at SMILE! Advanced Dental Center in Summerville, SC, we will customize a set of retainers to keep your smile in shape.There are three main types of retainers:

Hawley retainers consist of wires and clasps embedded in a plastic body that covers the roof of the mouth (for the upper arch) or lies along the tongue-side of the teeth (for the lower arch). The clasps fit around certain teeth to anchor the retainer in place, while the wire arches across the front of the teeth to maintain their alignment.

Clear retainers are made of clear plastic and fit snugly over the teeth. A clear retainer is usually more discreet than a Hawley retainer, although it may not be as durable.

Fixed retainers, also called bonded or permanent retainers, are permanently attached to the backside of the teeth. They prevent the teeth from shifting out of place and can only be removed by a dental professional.

If you used clear aligners for your orthodontic dentistry treatment, you might be able to use the last set as your retainers.

After orthodontic dentistry work, teeth are still susceptible to shifting around. Ligaments around each tooth have muscle memory to where they used to be. Retainers help stabilize and reinforce their “new” right place, in effect helping to erase this muscle memory over time.

But it goes beyond that. As a normal part of the aging process, teeth also tend to shift in response — regardless of if you’ve ever had braces or not. So, the retainer ensures that your teeth remain in correct alignment for optimal oral health, functionality, and appearance.

Depending on your treatment and your unique circumstances, you may need to wear your retainers all day, every day for several months and then switch to wearing them at night.

We often advise our patients to wear their retainers every night for a few years. Then, do a test and stop wearing them for a couple weeks. If the retainers easily slide in and out after those two weeks, your teeth aren’t shifting. But, if they feel tight, it means your teeth are making moves — so, you’ll want to start wearing your retainers regularly again.

It’s a good rule of thumb to never throw retainers away! They’re your insurance policy for all that you’ve invested in your smile!

Retainers might feel like the ultimate party-crasher, but they are actually your best friend that will look out for your teeth and keep them in check for years to come.

Our SMILE! Advanced Dental Care team in Summerville, SC, will help you determine the best next steps for retainers after your orthodontic dentistry treatment.