Your braces have finally been removed and you’ve unveiled your new smile to the world. You’re finished with orthodontics — right? Not quite. If you want to “retain” your new smile you’ll need to wear a retainer appliance: depending on your age and which teeth were moved, that could be for several months or even indefinitely. Retainers are necessary because of how teeth naturally move within the mouth. Although your teeth may seem rigidly set […]
Orthodontic treatment (commonly known as braces) can be a lengthy process to re-align your teeth to a more functional and aesthetic position. Once the orthodontic devices are removed, however, the treatment isn’t finished. Wearing a retainer is the final step to ensuring that the re-alignment doesn’t eventually fail. It’s designed to do just what its name implies — to “retain” the teeth’s new position and prevent a relapse to the old. This can happen because […]