While everyone's orthodontist may recommend something different, typically, it is recommended that you wear your retainer every night for the first year. After that, you can switch to 3-5 times a week.
You'll need to wear your retainer for the rest of your life when you have your teeth straightening treatment ends. There are different phases to wearing your retainers.
The First 2 Years: After your initial time of full-time wear, you will be able to start wearing your retainers during sleep only. From the Third Year to the Rest of Your Life: Now, you can wear your retainers a little bit less. Skipping an occasional night or two is no big deal.
For most orthodontic treatment, a majority of orthodontists recommend wearing a retainer for at least 10 years after you get your braces off or finish your aligner treatment. It's perfectly normal for many people to wear their retainers for the rest of their lives.
It's essential to continue wearing your retainer as instructed by your orthodontist If you do not wear your retainer as directed by your orthodontist, your teeth may revert to their original position, thus losing the teeth straightening progress you made during your orthodontic treatment.
Micro movements in teeth are often unnoticeable to the naked eye but lead to significant changes over time, especially if you undergo orthodontic treatment at a young age. And if you don't wear your retainer as prescribed, your teeth could start shifting within just a few weeks.
Not wearing a retainer for a month can result in your teeth beginning to shift back to their natural position.
A fixed retainer comprises a tiny piece of wire custom-made to bond to the back of a person's teeth. It prevents your teeth from moving, and you can smile or speak without anyone noticing. Its longevity ranges from 5 to 10 years or even more. Fixed retainers can last for decades if you maintain them well.
Retainers keep your smile in place when active treatment is complete. Your orthodontist can give you a better idea of how long you may need to wear your retainer consistently for the best results. Generally, patients need to wear their retainers for life to ensure their smiles don't regress.
Ultimately, your retainers are made to keep your teeth in place, not to move them, but they may be able to slightly shift your teeth back in the right circumstances. If it has been too long and your old retainer no longer fits snugly, you should contact your dentist in order to come up with a solution.
Either the retainer has changed, or the teeth have moved. Generally, it is simple to determine which has occurred. In some cases, retainers are damaged, distorted, or “wear out” with daily use. In most cases, however, the retainer is fine, but the teeth have shifted.
In one way or another, avoiding using the retainer accurately can result in relapse, where your teeth start to shift back to where they were originally. Another reason why you might require orthodontic treatment again is because of unexpected growth.
In most cases, it's normal for a newly fitted retainer to feel tight and cause discomfort in the first few days. However, if discomfort continues after wearing the retainer for several days, you should reach out to your orthodontist for an adjustment.
A few weeks or a month: After a slightly longer period of a few weeks or a month, your retainer may not feel comfortable to wear. Call your orthodontist to see if it's safe to wear it. A few months or years: Don't even attempt to wear an old retainer if it's been several months or years!
A Week: Minor relapses (teeth shifting) may occur, and small spaces and slight rotations might reappear. A Month: Any corrections to the alignment of the bite begin to reverse, meaning an overbite, underbite, or crossbite will start to come back.
If it turns out that your retainer has become warped, the orthodontist can fit you with a new one or possibly adjust the previous one. For those who haven't been wearing their retainer enough, the orthodontist might be able to provide a new retainer that can get your teeth to where they need to be.
Excessive time spent away from your retainer can reverse the results you sacrificed for during treatment, especially if you don't use your retainer during the crucial first few years. In simplest terms, not using your retainer can result in teeth moving permanently.
People who take good care of their teeth are less likely to experience tooth movement (though genetics and other factors play a role as well). This is because regular brushing and flossing remove trapped food and bacteria that could cause deterioration of the gums and bones.
It doesn't matter if you've had work done five weeks ago or 10 years ago, your teeth will shift back and they can begin shifting back within as little as three days depending on your genetics and how severe the work of your teeth straightening was. Our best advice is to always keep a backup retainer on hand.
The results of the first studies, based on the movement of 30 teeth in 15 subjects over 84 days, have been summarized in a recent publication. 1 These results showed that the overall mean velocity of tooth movement was 3.8 mm/day, or about 1.1 mm/month.
Teeth only require a small amount of constant force to move. Under these light forces, the tooth will move at a healthy rate of less than 1mm per month.
Numerous people think that adult teeth won't change or move over their lifetime because they're permanent. This is false: adult teeth do and can shift over time, whether or not you had braces as a teenager or child. So yes, teeth move overnight, though the change might be imperceptible at first.
Because teeth shift naturally and may move because of other factors, you'll have to wear your retainer part-time indefinitely to protect your corrected bite and smile. Some people will have to wear a retainer for at least 10 years. Many orthodontists recommend wearing the retainer part-time for the rest of your life.
It's best to store your retainer in its carrying case to keep it safe, but soaking your retainer in water can help keep it clean. We recommend soaking your retainer once a week to keep it free of bacteria. Make sure your carrying case and retainer are clean and dry to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Although your retainer is made from a custom mold, it will feel slightly snug at the start. It is normal. Although it may cause mild discomfort, It will loosen up and fit easily and comfortably over time, alleviating any pain. Wear retainers only if they fit correctly- meaning they must not feel too tight or loose.