Why Are Retainers Necessary After Orthodontics?

When it comes to crooked, misaligned, or gapped teeth, orthodontic care can completely transform your smile’s appearance and your oral health. Summit Family Orthodontics offers many orthodontic treatment options to choose from. This allows you to pick a treatment that best suits your needs, lifestyle, and budget. Here’s what you need to know about the teeth straightening process and the protocol after you complete your orthodontic treatment!

Types of Orthodontic Treatments

There are orthodontic treatments for every type of case you can imagine.

• Braces

Braces utilize a bracket and wire system to tackle even the most complex orthodontic cases. They come in traditional silver metal and there’s also a tooth-colored option.

• Clear Aligner Therapy

Clear aligner therapy is a teeth straightening method that uses clear, transparent retainers to straighten teeth. We offer Invisalign®, which provides a subtle, nearly invisible teeth straightening option for patients.

• Early Phase Treatment

Early orthodontic treatment can make your child’s later orthodontic treatment much less extensive. Palatal expanders and space maintainers prepare the way for a straight smile. Treatment can begin even before all of your child’s permanent teeth have emerged.

How to Care For Your Smile After Your Treatment Is Complete

Once you finish your orthodontic treatment, there are a few steps you can take to ensure your teeth stay in their new positions.

• Wear Your Retainer

Retainers are the number one way to keep your teeth in their new positions. Retainers are designed to hold your teeth in place and we recommend wearing them to sleep every night. If you don’t regularly wear your retainers after orthodontic treatment, you run the risk of your teeth returning back to their original positions.

• Improve Your Oral Hygiene Routine

During the teeth straightening process, it’s not uncommon for patients to slightly neglect their oral hygiene regimen because their teeth are sensitive. Once your treatment is complete, it’s crucial to get back to regularly scheduled programming by brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing daily.

• Attend Biannual Dental Visits

Make sure you’re going to the dentist at least twice a year. They will be able to catch any dental issues while they’re still small. They can also assess your tooth alignment to ensure your teeth are remaining in place and that your wisdom teeth or other factors aren’t putting your new alignment at risk.

Schedule Your Orthodontic Consultation

Are you ready to achieve a straighter, healthier smile? Don’t put it off any longer! At Summit Family Orthodontics, we offer a wide variety of orthodontic treatment options to help you reach your smile goals. Please contact our Littleton, CO team to schedule your orthodontic consultation. We’d love to hear from you!

Categorised in: Orthodontic Topics