Retainers

Myths and Truths About Orthodontics: Retainers for Life? Don’t Braces Work?

“I heard if you have braces, you have to wear your retainers for the rest of your life! After all this time in braces and all that money, I expect those teeth to stay straight. That Orthodontist we went to must not know what they’re doing!”

“We forgot to take Krissy’s retainers on our vacation, and by the time we got home, her front tooth had already started to shift back. We need to get her in and see what her Orthodontist is going to do about this! I just can’t imagine that something as hard and solid as teeth can shift that fast.”

After over 28 years in the practice of Orthodontics, by far the most frustrating part of my job is not straightening the teeth, but keeping them straight. There is a justifiable expectation on the part of families and patients I treat that the teeth will stay in the position we put them following the braces. I have that same expectation.

Back almost 30 years ago when I came out of my orthodontic training, the prevailing course of retainer wear was to wear them full-time for about 2 years and then throw them away. It is highly likely that you or someone you know had braces many years ago and were told by their Orthodontist after a few years at it was O.K. to stop wearing the retainers. Over the years or even worse, almost right away, the teeth shifted. Unfortunately, that was a common occurrence.

Why do teeth shift back? I use this analogy which I think works best to explain this challenge of teeth shifting throughout ones lifetime. At one time or another – for me many times- we all decide to really get into good physical condition, and “pump-up those muscles”. We go to the gym, work hard daily and over time- slowly but surely, we reach our goal of physical fitness. This is comparable to your treatment with braces; each of my patient’s work very hard, and endure the long process to get their teeth “in shape”. As with physical fitness, braces are making an improvement in your overall dental health. However, there is one catch; your body’s “natural state” has been altered. Yes, for the better, but still; your genetically determined physical form without a doubt is altered.

What happens if you stop going back to the gym after you get in shape? We all know, don’t we, back to square one! The same thing happens to the teeth if you don’t wear your retainers regularly and over your lifetime. All the things we all worked so hard to achieve changing your genetically predetermined “natural state” starts to “revert” back. This happens to some degree throughout the body when things you are “born with” are changed or altered. Without a little artificial help or maintenance, our genetically given state will prevail. With orthodontics, your retainer is that periodic maintenance “workout” to keep your teeth “in shape”.

I have patients I have treated 25 years ago that still wear their retainers if not nightly, they will try them on periodically. If they seem a little tight, they will wear the retainers a few nights in a row until they are not tight anymore. Their teeth still are still prefect like they did the day we took the braces off. It’s now easier than ever with the clear molded retainers we are now using, you don’t even know they are there.

Isn’t that small amount of long-term maintenance a small price to pay after all the time, effort, and cost you have put into that beautiful new smile to keep it perfect?