7, 8, Keep Them Straight

For anyone going through braces treatment, it's pretty much common knowledge that you will need to wear a retainer to keep your teeth straight after your braces have been removed.

We probably told you that you will need to wear your retainer full time, which means 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We know...24 hours a day, 7 days a week sounds like braces all over again. But really, wearing your retainer couldn't be more important.  

Fact of the matter is…your teeth aren't set rigidly into your jawbone like you might think. Your teeth are held in place by a network of fibers. After your teeth have been moved into their ideal position, it takes months for the fibers to adjust. When you’re not wearing your retainer, pressure from your lips and tongue can cause your teeth to shift out of alignment. You may think that your teeth don’t look any different initially, but just because you can’t see the change, doesn’t mean your teeth haven’t moved. And if you continually go without wearing your retainer, your teeth will continue to move until the misalignment is visibly noticeable. 

So again...just to be clear.

If you don’t wear your retainer as prescribed, your nice straight teeth will move out of alignment and back into their crooked places…just as if you never even had braces at all.

Photo provided by Poser Orthodontics

 We know you didn't go through orthodontic treatment just to have your teeth go back to being crooked. So…if you want to keep that perfect smile, wearing your retainer is a MUST. 

Wearing your retainer faithfully will maintain your beautiful, healthy smile.