What do patients ask about retainers after treatment?

How teeth and retainers change over time

Teeth continue to move after braces or Invisalign because the bone around them keeps breaking down and rebuilding, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) explains, and the AAO adds that a retainer itself will likely need replacing at some point.

• Why teeth shift after braces explores the days just after braces come off, a retainer left out for a while, and front teeth that crowd again years later.
• How long a retainer lasts examines what wears a retainer out, the care that extends its life, and the signs that call for a retainer check.

A retainer that stops fitting, breaks or goes missing

A retainer problem calls for your orthodontist rather than a fix improvised at home.

• When a retainer does not fit carries the AAO's warning against forcing, heating or bending one into place, along with what a tight fit can say about your teeth.
• What to do if you break or lose your retainer walks you through what to expect when a replacement is needed, starting with a call to the office.
• Insurance and a replacement retainer frames the questions to put to your dental plan before you pay for a new one.

Daily care and grinding at night

Proper care extends a retainer's life, according to the AAO, which makes cleaning and storage everyday questions.

• Caring for your retainer goes through brushing and soaking, smells and stains that outlast cleaning, and keeping a retainer safe while eating, traveling and around pets.
• Night guard and retainer together meets a grinder's question with the AAO's caution that layering two separate devices is rarely recommended.

Clear and fixed retainers, and the retainer check

The retainers and retention page profiles the clear removable and fixed bonded retainers the practice offers, and the options are reviewed with you at the final appointment of treatment.

If a retainer stops fitting the way it used to, a retainer check or replacement can be scheduled with the office.