Wear Your Retainers After Dental Braces

There’s nothing quite like the beaming confidence our patients exude once their braces come off and their teeth are bright and perfectly aligned. Considering that this is the first time most of our dental braces patients have seen their teeth without wires and brackets in years, it stands to reason that most are excited to finally be free from the confines of dental braces. But just because the metal braces have come off doesn’t mean your child or teen is free from dental intervention. Our Houston pediatric dentist usually requires his patients wear a retainer after dental braces treatment to ensure teeth do not shift to their previous position. 

Why Are Retainers So Important?

After investing time and money into your child’s dental braces treatment, the last thing you want is for those newly-aligned teeth to shift out of place again. Retainers are designed to keep your child’s teeth in the proper position our Houston pediatric dentist established with braces. Since children’s jaws are still growing and their teeth are less stationary than adults’, retainers are a necessary part of most orthodontic treatments. Wearing a retainer after Houston dental braces are removed has numerous benefits, such as stabilizing your child’s bite, ensuring teeth don’t shift back to their pre-braces position, and leaving room for wisdom teeth to erupt without interfering with treatment results.

What Kind of Retainer Will My Houston Pediatric Dentist Recommend?

The type of retainer our Houston cosmetic dentist selects will depend largely on your child’s orthodontic needs. There are three types of retainers, each of which is outlined below:

1. Clear plastic retainer: virtually invisible and made of molded plastic that is custom-made for each patient, these retainers can be removed for eating and drinking. That said, because they are removable, younger patients often need to be reminded to wear them regularly and keep them in a safe place when removed for meals.
2. Removable wire retainer: This is the most common retainer and is composed of a wire and plastic attachment that secures it inside your child’s mouth. They are easy to adjust and clean and can be removed during meals. But like clear plastic retainers, younger patients are more likely to lose or forget to wear them, so parents need to monitor their child to ensure regular use. 
3. Fixed wire retainer: this type of retainer is a metal wire that is cemented to the back of the teeth and is typically selected for those whose teeth were significantly crowded, crooked, or widely spaced before dental braces treatment. Because this type of retainer is affixed to the teeth and cannot be removed by anyone other than our Houston pediatric dentist, the treatment won’t be interrupted by irregular use and cannot be lost. 

Our Houston Pediatric Dentist Can Answer Your Questions About Retainers

Should you need additional information or clarification, our team is here to answer your questions. Our Houston dentist is committed to personalized, expert dental care founded upon the latest research in orthodontic medicine. Call us today to schedule an appointment and discover why so many Houstonians turn to Victory Smiles for their oral healthcare needs.