Why Wearing Your Retainer is so Important

So it's finally time to get your braces taken off, after months, maybe years, of wearing them. Congratulations! But there are a few things you need to know about post-orthodontic care for your teeth.

Your orthodontist has probably already told you that you'll be needing a retainer to keep your teeth straight and in line. There are several different types of retainers; which one you'll be wearing is up to your orthodontist. If you are not going to be wearing the kind that is cemented into your mouth, then this article is meant for you.

There are two different types of removable retainers: the clear trays and the metal kind. If you'll be wearing the clear retainers, you'll have impressions made for them. Impressions are just a 3D copy of your teeth. The ortho will fill a dental tray with a silly putty type substance. Then he/she will place the tray into your mouth and over your top and bottom teeth. It will push the substance onto your teeth, making an indentation in the tray. Once the trays are taken out, you'll see prints of your perfectly straight teeth. After the impressions are taken, your clear retainers will be made for you. They come in 2 different retainer trays, one for your top teeth and one for your bottom teeth. You'll wear both of them at the same time. It may take a while to get used to them, but after a while you won't even notice that they're there. Metal retainers do the same job. When you smile, it will look like a thin piece of metal is going across your teeth.