You Will Need a Retainer After Your Braces Have Been Removed

Once your braces have achieved your ideal smile, they can be removed. However, there will still be a little tension remaining in the periodontal ligaments that are anchoring the teeth in the sockets. To prevent your teeth from relapsing toward their old positions, your orthodontist, Dr. Ben McDowell, will fit you for a retainer. If your upper front or lower front teeth needed significant adjustment, he might advocate fitting you for a retainer in Payson, Arizona.

Dr. Ben McDowell will likely do this immediately after your braces have been removed. Wearing it will help your teeth maintain their ideal alignment while the residual tension in your periodontal ligaments gradually subsides.

The times you need to wear a retainer might change over time, depending on the how quickly the tension in the periodontal ligaments abate. Dr. Ben McDowell will adjust this time accordingly based on the progress he sees.

If your retainer is damaged or if you don’t wear it during the prescribed times, it will likely increase the total duration of the retention phase. You should expect that you’ll need to use a retainer for about the same amount of time it took for braces to completely realign your teeth.

Your mouth might produce more saliva for a few days after you start using a retainer. This is to be expected, and in a few days your mouth will likely adapt and normalize.

If you are due to have your braces removed soon and you have a question about retainers, you can always call 928-472-7223 to speak to someone at Payson Orthodontics.