The fact that you have completed orthodontic treatment does not ensure a lifetime of perfectly straight teeth. After braces are removed we provide retainers to support your teeth in their new position whilst the bone around them becomes firmer. Retainers can be fixed (glued on) or removable.
People hope to have a flawless smile after they have gone through orthodontic treatment. But sadly, it might not always be the case that your teeth are perfectly aligned even after you take your braces off. Despite having the best dentist, it is difficult to predict the exact outcome of any teeth straightening process.
“The most common cause of crooked teeth after braces is not wearing a retainer as directed,” Songco says. “Dental aligners can help fix this problem if you are a good candidate, meaning the misalignment of the teeth is not too severe.”
After Braces
Your dentist or orthodontist will also fit you with a retainer, which is a very important part of post-braces care. Even though braces may have successfully straightened your teeth, they aren't completely settled in their new position until the bones, gums, and muscles adapt to the change.
Once your braces are removed or you stop wearing alignment trays such as Invisalign, your teeth may start to shift back to their old positions. This is natural. The movement may be more pronounced in some people, while others may experience very little movement.
This process is called a mesial drift, meaning your pearly whites are always on the move. Your retainers will help prevent this from happening as you age. To maintain a straight smile for a lifetime, you're going to need to wear your retainers nightly for the rest of your life.
In general, you can expect to see some noticeable movement from around two months into the treatment. Some people notice it much sooner, and it could be as little as four weeks after you start wearing your aligners.
You might even notice that although most teeth look straighter, one or two may actually get more crooked! This is because the braces will take all of the crowding that was spread out over several teeth and consolidate it in one or two areas. This is completely normal and necessary.
The cusps or pointed ends of the top teeth should fit perfectly between two teeth in the bottom. The backs of the upper front teeth should rest in gentle contact with the fronts of the lower ones. This means that the upper teeth are in front of the lowers when the bite is closed.
Cosmetic Dentistry
If your teeth are straight but there are other issues upsetting you, your ortho might recommend you see a cosmetic dentist. Some people realize when their teeth are finally straight it's the size, shape, or even size of their gums they don't like.
Even while sleeping, there should be no reason for your top and bottom teeth to touch. As mentioned above, the ideal resting position for teeth is totally non-interactive.
Braces and retainers can help move teeth into better positions that can alleviate crowding or misplacement. However, sometimes an orthodontist may need to shave a little bit off a tooth or two as part of the process.
Tooth relapse after braces is very common, especially in the first year after braces. The cause is simple: your teeth have been moved, but they haven't become fully fixed in their new places yet. When braces and other orthodontic treatments move your teeth, they cause your body to remodel bone around your teeth.
To make a long answer short, no. Because retainers in Glenpool aren't made to apply steady force over time in order to change the position of your teeth, they are not an ideal solution to realign them. However, they may be able to help by making minor adjustments to the position or your teeth and your bite.
Using braces or Invisalign to adjust the alignment of your teeth means that the soft tissues laying over them — like your cheeks and lips — will conform to the new alignment of your bite. That's why a person's face sometimes looks “sunken in” when they lose teeth.
Most orthodontists advise their patients to wear their retainers for the rest of their lives. However, the retainers only need to be worn at night and skipping a night here and there is no big deal.
Some people need to wear a retainer all day, every day for 4 months, while others will be instructed to wear theirs for 12 months. Almost all orthodontists instruct that you use some form of retainer each night, indefinitely, after your braces have been removed.
You'll have to wear your retainer for at least 10 years after you get your braces off or finish your aligner treatment. Many people wear their retainers for the rest of their lives. During the first three months after braces or aligners, you should wear your retainers most of the time.
When your orthodontic treatment is complete, you'll wear the Hawley retainer full-time, day and night, for several months: most orthodontists recommend around 6-9 months. You'll remove it for meals, drinking anything but water, and to brush your teeth, and clean the retainer.
In most cases, it's normal for a new retainer to feel tight. If your retainer is tight but still fits over your teeth, you can continue to wear it. In fact, retainers are made to be snug to prevent your teeth from moving out of place. In most cases, a tight retainer won't damage your teeth or gums.
Another option is to use cosmetic bonding to complete that perfect smile after braces. Bonding is often used to correct the shape of the teeth, improving jagged, pointy, worn or chipped edges.
The pointed ends of the top teeth should fit perfectly between two teeth in the bottom. The backs of the upper front teeth should rest in gentle contact with the fronts of the lower ones. Essentially, your bite should “close”. If your front upper teeth stick out past your lower teeth, this is called an overbite.
When we say bite, what we're talking about is the way your upper and lower jaw come together. Your upper teeth should fit slightly over your lower teeth and the points of your molars should fit the grooves of the opposite molar. If your jaw lines up like this, you most likely have a healthy bite.
For most people, an uneven bite means a bite that is obviously out of line in some way: the teeth are noticeably misaligned, there's an apparent overbite or underbite, or a person's smile is crooked or twisted, making them look more like they're smirking than smiling.