After your braces get taken off, you’ll have to wear a retainer for quite some time. This is necessary and essential to keeping your teeth straight. If you don’t do so, they will relapse and become crowded again.
For How Long?
You must wear your retainer for quite some time after your braces are off. This is because it will take a while for the bones to build up and grow around your teeth. By keeping them in place, and allowing time for the bone to grow, you’ll maintain your perfect smile. If you do not wear it as prescribed, your smile will shift again because there’s not enough bone holding them in place.
People wear them for about one to two years after their braces are off. That is the amount of time that it will take for the bones to grow enough to be able to keep your smile in place. Be sure to wear it nightly or else a relapse will occur.
Do I Wear It All Day?
How long your wear your retainer daily depends on your case and what your orthodontist prescribes. For some people, they’re required to wear it 24hrs a day for the first 6 months that their braces are taken off. For others, they’re required to wear it only when they sleep. Either way, if you have to wear it for a few years, this is done so your teeth get used to the new position. If you want to keep your perfect smile, it’s advised to always wear it when you sleep.
When you first put it on, it will feel tight. You won’t feel any soreness or pain like when you first got your braces. The retainer will hug your smile very tightly to make sure that they stay in place. After a day or two of wearing it, it begins to feel more comfortable.
Can I Miss A Day?
For obvious reasons it’s best that you try and never forget to wear your retainer. People will often say that it feels tighter the day after forgetting to wear it. This occurs because the teeth are very quick to take advantage of the opportunity to relapse to their previous positions. Don’t worry if you miss a day, just wear it normally from then on and all will be back to normal.
Instructions
You’re allowed to remove it when eating or brushing your teeth, this avoids it getting damaged. It is very important that you clean your retainer before you place it in your mouth. This avoids bacterial build up. When you remove it always be sure to place it somewhere safely and memorable. You don’t want to forget or lose it because replacing it can be costly. The safest place it is in your mouth.
Visibility
Retainers are usually almost invisible to the common eye. Since they’re clear colored, most people won’t be able to tell you’re wearing one. They are often made from a clear plastic and will hug your teeth tightly. That is why people won’t be able to tell that you’re wearing one.
The Rest Of Your Life
If you want to maintain your perfect smile, you should wear it when you sleep everyday for the remainder of your life. As you grow older, your face changes, and so do the bones in it. As this happens, the changes can easily affect your teeth. This can make them crowded again as time passes. By wearing your retainer, nothing in your mouth will move out of place as your facial profile changes. That way, you will be 60, and still have the perfect smile.
How Much Will A Retainer Cost
Now that your treatment is done you are probably wondering how much the retainer that your orthodontist is making is going to cost you. Well luckily for you the cost is already included in the payments. However, you accidentally broke it. No worries you can always get a replacement. However, that replacement is not included in the actual payment plan. Depending on the location, your orthodontist’s fee and if you are an existing customer the price will vary. It cost can range from around $200 to 400. Now the original material cost is around $80 to create the mold of your teeth. The rest of the price will cover the cost for the appointment. Now it is crucial to get your retainer as soon as possible. Over the years your teeth will attempt to move to new positions. This is because your face changes over time, and with that your teeth will too. It is important for keeping the current structure of your teeth so the braces don’t go to waste. The longer you have it the more your teeth will be resistant to moving, however, even if they are resistant they will begin to shift over time. Now the sooner you get the retainer the better it is for you. The orthodontist will have to create a new ones based on your current teeth. This means the longer you wait the less perfect your teeth will be which means that everyday wasted will mean your teeth will have to stay that much less perfect.
Be sure to visit your current orthodontist, the one who got your braces on in the first place. This orthodontist will have the records from your previous treatments and will likely charge you less for a new one. When a orthodontist has to make a new retainer he is obligated to charge you more because he has never treated you before so he will most likely want to get as much of your money as possible since you might never return. This isn’t the case for your original orthodontist because they know you already paid them before and likely to comeback again if something occurs. Keep in mind that this is general how business works, and is very common among the industry. Lastly, make sure you don’t break it again, keeping it protected is important. Often individuals get lazy and forget to put it on yet they spent so much money fixing their teeth.