Why do I need to wear a retainer after orthodontic treatment?

In clinical practice, many orthodontic friends have this idea: "My teeth have become beautiful, and I will be liberated after taking off the braces!" In fact, this is not the case. Orthodontic treatment "half depends on the doctor and half depends on yourself". After treatment, you still need to wear a retainer to maintain the effect.

The measures taken to consolidate the curative effect of orthodontic treatment and keep the teeth in the ideal aesthetic and functional position are called retention. It is the last step of orthodontic treatment and an indispensable and important stage in the correction process.

The main reasons for maintaining teeth after orthodontic treatment: 1. Teeth tend to return to their original position after orthodontic treatment.

2. It takes a certain amount of time to rebuild the bones and adjacent tissues around the teeth after orthodontic treatment.

3. The balance of the bite has not yet been established.

4. Bad oral habits have not been eliminated.

5. The impact of growth type and gender on the correction effect.

6. Eruption of the third permanent molar.

7. Orthodontic treatment that exceeds the normal limits of the teeth and jaws will lead to unstable therapeutic effects.

Which type of retainer is better? 1. Removable retainer. You can put it on and take it off by yourself. You can take it off when eating and brushing your teeth, and keep it on at other times.

(1) The standard Hawley retainer is the most commonly used and oldest removable retainer. It is made of self-curing resin and bent steel wire and is divided into two parts, upper and lower. This retainer can have a slight correction effect, such as moving teeth a small amount, pressing in, stretching or moving individual teeth in the mesiodistal direction, etc., which is conducive to the stability of the occlusal relationship. However, this retainer has steel wire exposed on the labial side, which is not aesthetically pleasing.

(2) Negative pressure film retainer (transparent retainer), made of elastic plastic, covers the crowns of all dentitions, is used for retention after correction, is conducive to the stability of occlusal relationship and tooth position, and has good effect. Film retainer has beautiful appearance, small size, and little foreign body sensation. It is currently widely used. However, the plastic sheet is easy to wear and tear, and its service life is shorter than that of Hawley retainer.

2. Fixed retainer. Various fixing devices are bonded to the crown surface for retention, including lingual fixed retainers in the lower anterior teeth area, adhesive fixed lingual retainers for anterior teeth, fixed lingual retainers for the upper central incisor space, etc. The advantage is that it is not affected by patient cooperation factors, the effect is stable and reliable, and it is suitable for long-term or lifelong retention. The disadvantage is that it is not easy to clean and easy to accumulate plaque.

3. Functional retainers. By transmitting and transferring the functional power of the oral and maxillofacial muscles in the oral environment, the bone marrow growth process is inhibited or stimulated. For example, a retainer with a tongue grid is designed to break the bad habit of sticking out the tongue. For patients who have undergone functional orthopedic treatment during their growth and development period, the corresponding functional orthodontic appliance is selected as a retainer to maintain the occlusal relationship after the treatment, depending on the situation. It is usually used until the patient's growth and development is basically completed. When using it, it should be combined with muscle function training, occlusal adjustment and other methods to speed up the adaptation of muscles and teeth to the new environment, and establish a new muscle power balance as soon as possible, which is conducive to the stability of the correction effect.

How long do retainers need to be worn? Since the tendency of relapse may always exist after orthodontic treatment, it is generally required to be worn for at least 2 years after orthodontic treatment. Usually, it needs to be worn all day in the first year; in the second year, it can be adjusted as appropriate and gradually transitioned to nighttime wearing. The length of wearing time should be based on the doctor's advice. For some special malocclusions, retainers may even need to be worn for life.

Precautions for wearing retainers 1. Storage. For those who wear retainers all day, they should be stored in a special storage box when taking them out for eating and brushing teeth. Do not just throw them on the table with a pack of napkins, as it is easy to forget or lose them.

2. Cleaning. For removable retainers, you can use water or wet cotton swabs and toothbrushes to assist in cleaning. You can also soak the retainer in denture cleaning liquid, or use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean it 1 to 2 times a week. Do not use hot water or solvents such as alcohol to soak it, so as to avoid deformation of the retainer.

3. Follow-up. During the period of wearing the retainer, you should have a follow-up every 3 to 6 months to ensure that some signs of recurrence are discovered early. If you feel that the retainer is loose and not fitting well, you need to have a follow-up adjustment in time.