It’s your last scheduled day of wearing your Invisalign clear aligners so you jump out of bed, ready to show off your new smile to the orthodontist. After making it to the office, the treatment proved to be a success and you hand your aligners back and head on your way. However, the doctor stops you from leaving. “Did you forget? We need to give you your retainer.” At first you’re puzzled, then you remember back to the first day of treatment. Your Polaris orthodontist mentioned you’d need a retainer after you finished wearing your aligners.
Your Teeth Aren’t Finished Yet
As much as we would like it to be the case, patients who complete their Invisalign treatment have not finished the alignment process. As you discontinue use of your aligners your teeth, ligaments, and tissues will need to adjust to their new locations. Therefore, you’ll also need to wear a retainer to keep your smile while the mouth adjusts.
In previous cases, adults who wore braces in their teens but then failed to properly wear their prescribed retainers experienced their teeth shift back to their original locations. Surprisingly, this is often the reason why people pursue clear aligners as adults.
When To Wear Your Retainer
Initial shifting can happen as early as 24-48 hours without wearing a retainer, so staying committed to wearing it is essential to ensuring all your previous efforts and costs are not wasted. Depending on the severity of your shift and your age, your doctor will prescribe you a specific regiment to adhere to for your retainer.
For example, your orthodontist may prescribe a 3 to 6 month-long program for a set number of hours per day. If you complete these hours, it’s likely you’ll only have to wear them at night for another 6 months. After 12 months of your wear, you’ll only need to wear them 3 to 5 times a week for life. Patients will differ dramatically from each other, but this process should be taken very seriously if you intend to keep your teeth straight.
Sticking To Your Preventive Oral Health Routine
Along with using your retainer, oral hygiene and regular checkups with your orthodontist should be part of your overall oral health regiment. It’s common for teeth to shift due to tooth loss and periodontal disease is the number one cause for this, so stick to this plan to keep your smile. During your regular checkup your doctor will also check that your bite is correct or create a new retainer if necessary.
Don’t let your efforts go to waste. Stay committed to keeping your new beautiful smile!
About the Author
Dr. Amin Mason earned his undergraduate degree at Ohio State University, followed by his dental degree at the Ohio State College of Dentistry. Upon completing his craniofacial research fellowship at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY, he attended the University of Colorado, Denver to obtain his certificate in orthodontics and Master of Science in Dentistry. To learn more about clear alignments and the Invisalign procedure, contact his practice at (614) 781-6990 or visit his website.
