You invested a small fortune in straightening your teeth, and it was worth every penny, because now you have what dentists refer to as an ideal bite: teeth properly aligned, and healthy. At Henry Advanced Orthodoncis in St. Augustine, we can help you make sure they stay that way with a retainer, after your braces are off.
Teeth are not as stable in your mouth as you might assume. This is especially true of teeth that have just been forcibly, if gently, realigned. When you’re finished with braces your newly aligned teeth are going to have a strong tendency to move back to their original location.
We prevent that from happening with retainers. Retainers is an appliance designed to keep your teeth in the ideal position your braces just moved them to.
At Henry Advanced Orthodontics there are three types of retainers; we can helpl you decide which is best for you.
- Hawley Retainers are made of metal and acrylic
- Essix Retainers are made of clear plastic like Invisalign braces
- Permanent Retainers are glued to the back of the teeth
We provide most patients with Hawley or Essix retainers. We use molds from your newly-aligned teeth to custom-fit the retainer to your mouth.
Patients always want to know how long they need to wear retainers for. That’s a fair question; after all, you just finished a long stretch of wearing braces.
There is no single answer to this question; it depends on the patient. Some people wear their removeable retainers at night for years. Fixed retainers are usually worn for a couple of years; some patients wear them even longer.
At Henry Advanced Orthodontics in St. Augustine, we’ll help you protect your great new smile with a retainer after your finsihed with braces. We provide braces for people of all ages. Schedule an appointment with us today.
