Why do people wear dental retainers?

Retainers: It is common for a person to wear a dental retainer after they have been in active orthodontics "braces". The retainer helps to keep the desired position of the teeth so that the teeth don't revert back to an undesirable position which is often the tendency.

Keep teeth straight!: Purpose of retainers is to keep the teeth in the correct positions after braces. Often, the reason for teeth to shift after braces is the poor compliance with consistent wearing of retainers afterwards.

Retain correction: Dental retainers "retain" the corrections achieved during orthodontic care. Teeth are part of skeletal tissue and will adjust and shift over time if left on their own. A lifetime use of retainers will contribute to a lifetime beautiful and functional smile.

To retain results: Orthodontic retainers are designed to maintain final orthodontic results as teeth have the potential to change to some degree. An excellent description of retainers can be found on wikipedia under: retainer (orthodontics).

Keep teeth straight: Retainers keep teeth from shifting. After orthodontics, if left without a retainer, teeth can shift back to their original positions (think rubber band snapping back). Retainers help hold teeth where they are.

Smart: It's called "protect your investment." if you wear retainers after braces, the retainers will help stabilize the treatment result. If retainers not worn exactly as prescribed, guaranteed teeth will shift and you will have thrown away thousands of dollars and years of effort.