What happens after the orthodontist in Liverpool announces that the braces have done their job? Well, the braces are only the first stage of straightening treatment. The second step is wearing a retainer.
Various dental clinics in Liverpool, such as Liverpool Smile Studio, offer cosmetic teeth straightening treatments. Nearly everyone who has teeth straightening treatment from the cosmetic orthodontist in Liverpool can expect to have to go on to wearing a retainer for a period of time after their braces come off.
What are retainers?
Retainers are devices that hold the newly straightened teeth in place after the straightening work has been completed. When teeth are moved within the jawbone, the bone is resorbed in one place and rebuilt in another. For a while after straightening has stopped, that bone is not yet hard, and it is possible for the teeth to try to wander back to their previous place in the jawbone. Old habits die hard, and all that.
People who have not bothered with wearing a retainer have found that they have needed to wear braces again after they have slipped out of their newly aligned positions. Retainers make sure this doesn’t happen.
There are different kinds of retainers: fixed, vacuum-formed and Hawley.
Vacuum-formed retainers
These transparent, discreet retainers are worn only some of the time, and are removed for cleaning and eating.
Fixed retainers
These are bonded behind the teeth, where they cannot be seen, and are not removable. They are recommended for people who may not remember to wear their retainers. It’s important to keep fixed retainers clean to avoid decay from trapped food.
Hawley retainers
These are removable, plastic devices that clip onto the back teeth with a thin metal wire that runs across the front. These powerful retainers may make it hard to speak when they first go in, but people adjust to this as they get used to wearing this retainer.
When people receive their retainer from the cosmetic orthodontist in Liverpool, they can usually expect to be told that they will need to wear it for about 12 months. This is how long it takes for the teeth to settle down in their new positions.