Orthodontic retainer question hi, so i had braces till i was about 17 and wore my retainer most of the following two years after, they had stated that i would only need to wear it mainly for the frist year from what i remember. i am now 20 and my top row

Honestly : Honestly this is only a question that an orthodontist can answer. I'm sure if you call your previous orthodontist he/she will be happy to answer your questions and provide you with good advice to help achieve your goal of having beautiful straight teeth. Good luck.

See your orthodontit: Many times teeth will shift after you stop wearing a retainer. You may need to have a new retainer made just to keep your teeth where they are now. If you want to get your teeth back to the position after your braces you may need to see your orthodontist and restart you treatment. If the teeth have not shifted very much then treatment may possible be a very short time.

Orthodontic retainer: In your late teens and early twenties many people tend to have their front teeth crowd. It is not related to wisdom tooth growth - that is a myth. It just happens around the same time they also become an issue. The only way to stabilize your teeth is to continue to wear a retainer. A permanent retainer can be bonded to the back of your teeth on one will see it and you will forget it is there.

Cause for relapse: Expansion of the width between the lower canines and altering the original arch form have been proven to be unstable. Seek retreatment from an orthodontist who is not an expansionist and returns the teeth to the original arch form. Sometimes, extractions are necessary as you cannot fit 12 cars in 10 parking spaces. Need a lot more space than allowed to address this question properly.

Retention Importance: I feel retention is the single most important part of treatment. It the longest part, definitely. An analogy: you buy a new car, it looks great! if you take care of it (maintenance) it will last a long time. Your teeth are the same, you use them every day, they age with you, if left alone the perfection of your orthodontic result will slip away to some degree over time, unless maintained.

Long term wear....: Retainers are meant to be worn on a long term basis because the teeth will always want to move back to a position that has elements of the ore treatment position. The reason for this is that there are fibers that run between the teeth and those don't change their shape. A retainer worn every night on a regular basis forever resets the teeth so they won't ever move.

Biological fact: Every ethical orthodontist must, prior to starting treatment tell the patient that wearing of retainers is a lifetime commitment. People may be treated to more or less stable results, depending on the problems and results of treatment, but all patients must wear retainers for life.

Retention because: Orthodontic results to stable mandibular maxillary relationships mean the joints, muscles, head and neck posture and orthodontic results are completed in harmony. When this does not occur then something has to give. If it is the teeth then recrowding will occur and retainers are used to try and compensate for these type of problems.

Wear then for life: I would always recommend lifelong retainer use. At the very least wear them nights only and eventually every other night but never stop using them.

They were wrong: You should wear retainers for a lot longer. At least 10 years if not forever.

Things change: You have a whole new skeleton every - years. Your gait changes. Your posture changes. People who never had braces have teeth shift and drift as they age, as well as people who did wear braces. Retainers help keep teeth straight...Wear them.