Through the course of your routine adjustments, your braces moved your teeth into alignment for a more functional mouth and an appealing smile. A retainer is absolutely critical to maintaining that alignment after your braces are removed.
Your teeth are anchored in your mouth by periodontal ligaments. These ligaments still have some residual tension in them even after your ideal alignment has been achieved. Without a retainer of some type this residual tension pull your teeth back toward your old bite pattern. This process is called relapse.
You will be fitted for your retainer shortly after your braces are removed. This usually involves a series of x-rays to give us a clear picture of what’s going on in your jaw structure and helps to determine just how long you’ll need to wear your retainer. This is followed up by taking a bite impression.
You might have some excess saliva during the first few days wearing your retainer. It’s not uncommon for you to wear your retainer for about as long as you were wearing braces.
If you are due to have your braces removed and you have questions about getting a retainer, please feel free to call us at 830-268-4447 to schedule an appointment.