According to NCBI, an estimated 50% to 75% of individuals can benefit from orthodontic treatment. There are many methods used by orthodontists to address a variety of issues. In some instances, your orthodontist may recommend that you wear a retainer. These are usually worn after orthodontic treatment with braces. If you’re done with your treatment, you should wear a retainer, and here are some of the reasons why it’s crucial to do so.

Keep Your Results

There are many reasons why you may need to wear a retainer. One of the most significant benefits of retainers is that they help you keep your results after orthodontic treatment. In fact, this is the number one reason why they’re recommended by orthodontists. If you don’t wear a retainer, your teeth will shift back to their previous positions. The orthodontist will tell you how long you should wear a retainer and when to wear it. In some instances, you may only need to wear it during the night, and sometimes you may have to wear it all the time.

Continue With Treatment

Braces can help your teeth shift into their desired position. However, sometimes when braces are removed, the process won’t be complete. Therefore, retainers will help to encourage your teeth to keep moving and shifting into better positions. In some instances, depending on your condition, retainers can even be used to close spaces between teeth or move a single tooth. In these instances, you may not even have to get braces. The retainers will hold the teeth in place until the gap closes. When you wear retainers, you should expect to feel pressure, and you might even experience some soreness. However, this should go away within a few days.

Help With Other Problems

There are other mouth problems you can address with retainers apart from shifting teeth. In some instances, they can be used to control tongue thrust. This is a condition where the tongue sneaks out during speech. When used this way, retainers stop your tongue from moving forward when you speak. This trains it to go upwards instead of forward and out through the teeth.

Wearing a retainer after braces is essential. Doing so will help ensure that your treatment results remain. Some orthodontists even recommend retainers to patients with other problems. If you’re wondering if you need a retainer, reach out to us at David Ross Orthodontics today for answers to all your questions.