It’s an exciting moment to say goodbye to your braces or aligner trays, often forgetting that wearing retainers is just as important. It helps protect the progress you’ve worked hard to make, keeping your teeth in their new positions.
If you’ve ever missed out on wearing your retainers, there’s no need to worry. Dr. Melanie Orthodontics can help you get your smile back after not wearing your retainer with our touch-up treatment options.
Retainers for Your Lasting Smile
Retainers are provided after your orthodontic treatment to keep your teeth in their proper positions. Whereas your braces and aligners straighten your teeth, retainers maintain your progress. By holding your teeth in place, retainers allow the bones and tissues around your teeth to grow, allowing you to smile, chew, and rest without discomfort.
Benefits of Wearing Retainers
The effort you put into wearing your retainer after treatment is just as crucial as the time spent wearing braces or clear aligners. This commitment is key to maintaining the benefits you’ve gained. Here’s what your retainers do:
- Prevents Tooth Shifting: The primary purpose of retainers is to prevent your teeth from returning to their previous positions.
- Maintains Your Alignment: Keeps the teeth and jaw alignment you’ve achieved, ensuring they fit together when you close your mouth or eat meals.
- Supports Long-Term Oral Wellness: By supporting the growth of bones and tissues, you can avoid problems with loose or misaligned teeth.
- Saves Money: By retaining your progress, you can avoid another orthodontic treatment, which can be costly and time-consuming.
Without retainers, your teeth will follow their natural tendency to shift back, whether to return to their original alignment or to fill the gaps left by your treatment. This is called a relapse.
What Causes Relapse?
Relapse describes the tendency of your teeth to return to their pretreatment conditions, often compromising the progress and stability of your orthodontic treatment. The main reason for an orthodontic relapse is missing out on your retainers. They’ll naturally try to return to their original places without any dental appliance to hold your teeth in their proper position.
If you’ve missed wearing your retainers, the first thing to reassess is how long you have skipped out on your wear time. Depending on the situation, Dr. Melanie will adjust your wear time to suit your needs if it’s only been a few days. However, if you haven’t worn your retainers for weeks or months on end, the Dr. Melanie Orthodontics team may suggest you redo your orthodontic treatment.
Aside from missing out on wearing your retainers, below are a couple of factors that can cause a relapse:
- Genetic predisposition
Some people respond better to orthodontic treatments, while others have specific dispositions to medical conditions that can affect tooth alignment and stability.
- Stress-related factors
Stress affects the body in different ways, such as gum problems or grinding your teeth (bruxism), which can lead to misalignment problems.
- Tooth loss
If a tooth is removed, it will leave a gap. Your body will naturally try to fill that gap, even if it means shifting your teeth away from their position.
If you’ve followed your recommended retainer schedule and still experience discomfort, you can drop by either of our offices in San Diego or Rancho Santa Fe, and we’ll get you a new retainer.
Fixing Minor Issues with Touch-Up Treatment
Touch-up treatment remains the primary solution for orthodontic relapse. Whether you’ve missed your wear time or for other reasons, Dr. Melanie Orthodontics is here to help you correct those shifting teeth.
Depending on the degree of your relapse, touch-up treatment options can range from an adjusted retainer set to a re-treatment with braces or aligners. Thankfully, corrective treatments are often shorter than the original treatment — we’ll just fix the minor misalignment, and you’ll be back to enjoying your smile.
Here are the various touch-up treatment options available:
- Adjusted Retainers: If your teeth have shifted but to a small, acceptable degree, you’ll need a new set of retainers. This prevents discomfort and helps your teeth recover firmly in place, preventing further relapse.
- Traditional metal braces: Dr. Melanie Orthodontics offers metal braces made with high-grade stainless steel, perfect for people who prioritize durability. These braces are also customizable for a more personalized experience.
- Ceramic braces: If you prefer the straightening capabilities of traditional braces but with added comfort and discreteness, our ceramic braces can be a suitable treatment option. Its translucent ceramic brackets blend nicely with the natural color of your teeth and are smaller than metal brackets to reduce discomfort.
- Clear aligner trays: We’re a leading provider of trusted clear aligner trays, such as 3M Clarity, uLab, and TLC. This treatment involves a set of dental appliances that also straighten teeth but can be removed during meals.
More importantly, regular check-ups are essential. Feel free to ask us questions or share your smile goals with us. Regular orthodontic intervention ensures your treatment works as intended.
A Simple and Budget-Friendly Way to Maintain Your Smile
Once you’ve completed your touch-up treatment, it’s essential to safeguard your progress and prevent any future relapse. Whether you’ve just finished orthodontic treatment or are getting back into the habit of wearing retainers, Dr. Melanie Orthodontics has you covered. We provide affordable retention solutions, helping you maintain your smile without the high cost.
Consider our 5-Year Retainer Program for just $1200, which covers the cost of two sets of retainers every five years for a total of 10. With this plan, you’ll receive two fresh clear essix retainers each year for five years, ensuring you stay on track and keep your smile in perfect alignment for the long term.
Achieve Straighter Smiles for Longer
Achieving your dream smile can be a long journey, so extending it further can be worrisome. However, setbacks can happen, causing your progress to slip. Whatever the reason for your orthodontic relapse, Dr. Melanie Orthodontics is here to help. If you’re ready to secure a lasting smile, start with a free consultation, and we’ll ensure you get the care you deserve.