Retainers

Retainers are fitted at the end of orthodontic treatment after the braces are removed. They can be either removable or fixed onto the teeth. There are different types of retainers. The choice of retainer is affected by a number of different factors and your orthodontist will explain which retainer is best for you. Sometimes you will be recommended to wear more than one type of retainer to reduce the chances of the teeth relapsing.

There are two reasons for wearing retainers:

• Teeth tend to want to move back towards their original positions. This is called relapse.
• As we get older our teeth may start to move unpredictably, often showing some crossing over and increased in crowding.

By wearing retainers long-term we can reduce these age changes in the position of the teeth. The longer you wear retainers, the longer you can keep your teeth straight.