The most exciting day for an orthodontic patient is the day that their braces come off. Getting a smile that is as close to ideal as possible can be a long and involved process, and everyone, including the orthodontist, wants that smile to last the rest of the patient’s lifetime. But is that realistic?
Believe it or not, although the teeth may look great on the day the braces are removed, they will look better and be healthier a few weeks after the braces have come off. One reason for this is that the gum tissues, which suffer during treatment because brushing and flossing are so much more difficult, will actually get healthier after the braces are gone. A second reason is that with the wires and brackets off, the teeth can “settle” and come together more evenly and naturally. This settling is desirable on the side and back teeth, but not up front where changes would be noticeable.
To keep the amount of movement to a minimum, all patients in our practice are given retainers the day their braces come off. As we’ve discussed in previous articles, there are many styles of orthodontic retainers, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. They all have one thing in common however. None of them can prevent all changes that occur as the mouth ages. Just as our eyesight, our hairline, and our figure changes with age, so do our teeth. There is nothing on the body that does not sag and wrinkle with age.
Changes in the alignment of your teeth will occur for a variety of reasons. First, if you are still growing, your genetic instructions (DNA) were not changed by our treatment and they still influence how you’ll “turn out.” Second, oral habits (where you rest your tongue or how you clench your teeth) will continue to put forces on the teeth that may cause them to move. And third, the normal wear that occurs when you use your teeth will require that your teeth adjust their positions so they can still come together. For these reasons the positions of your teeth will continue to change after your braces come off.
So what is the take-home message? If you want to keep the natural changes that occur to a minimum, wear your retainers daily as prescribed for as long as you want your teeth to stay straight. You need to accept some natural change, but there is no reason why your teeth can’t continue looking awesome for the rest of your life!
NOTE: The author, Dr. Greg Jorgensen, is a board-certified orthodontist who is in the private practice of orthodontics in Rio Rancho, New Mexico (a suburb on the Westside of Albuquerque). He was trained at BYU, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Iowa in the United States. Dr. Jorgensen’s 25 years of specialty practice and nearly 10,000 finished cases qualify him an expert in two-phase treatment, extraction and non-extraction therapy, functional orthodontics, clear aligners (Invisalign), and multiple bracket systems (including conventional braces, Damon and other self-ligating brackets, Suresmile, and lingual braces). This blog is for informational purposes only and is designed to help consumers understand currently accepted orthodontic concepts. It is not a venue for debating alternative treatment theories. Dr. Jorgensen is licensed to diagnose and treat patients only in the state of New Mexico. He cannot diagnose cases described in comments nor can he select treatment plans for readers. Please understand that because he has tens of thousands of readers each month, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO RESPOND TO EVERY QUESTION. Please read all of the comments associated with each article as most of the questions he receives each week have been asked and answered previously. The opinions expressed here are protected by copyright laws and can only be used with written permission from the author.
So my orthodontist applied a bonded retainer on my two front teeth, now my bite is off, and I’m having jaw pain, neck pain, and headaches because I can’t bite correctly and my bottom teeth are hitting the retainer. I wish I would’ve never got these on. This is probably the worst decision I’ve ever made. If your orthodontist advises you to get a bonded retainer put on please make sure you can bite alll the way down, not just partially, because you will have TMJ issues in the long run. Now I have wasted $350 on something that is causing me pain. I guess you live and you learn.
I would counsel with your orthodontist ASAP. If your retainer really is causing these issue, ask for it to be removed. The issues should go away as quickly as they came and there are alternatives that can do the same thing
I got my braces off but I then had to gets retainers and shear retainers are making my teeth crooked, they are not making them straight. Are they working? Should I ask my dentist about this? Help
Retainers don’t make teeth straight. They only “retain” or hold the teeth where they are. If yours are not holding them straight, you need to contact your orthodontist ASAP
I am 20 and have had braces twice already to fix teeth that continue to move but am still having troubles just 2 years after getting my braces removed for the second time. I have bonded retainers on the top and bottom six front teeth and I also wear a Hawley retainer on the top teeth at night. Even with these precautions, my upper right second incisor (number 7?) has slightly tilted back and inwards towards the inside of my mouth/front tooth and now hits my lower canine, which it certainly did not use to do. When I asked my orthodontist about this he said it was likely due to a tongue thrust and shaved down my canine to stop the teeth from hitting when I bite but did not offer a further solution or explanation of the tongue thrust. My tooth still moves and touches the lower canine, though sometimes it moves back up throughout the day when I eat. Is it bad that my tooth noticeably moves throughout the day or that it sometimes hits my lower canine? Can this break the tooth because it is not used to that pressure? I’m not too concerned with the aesthetics because my teeth are fairly straight still, but I don’t see how my tooth will stop moving without some sort of braces or retainer. Additionally, my lower six teeth, which have been bonded for the past 7 or so years (they were not treated the second time I got braces) are beginning to tilt to the left. Not sure if this will become a problem. Please let me know what you think and thank you for your time.
Please understand that no matter how talented your doctor or ideal the treatment, everything in your body sags and wrinkles with age. I’m glad things look good and it sound like you’ve got several different kinds of retainers. The only recommendation I would have is if you feel you’ve gone as far as you can with your current orthodontist (we each have our own training, experience, and biases), get a second opinion. Not that the first orthodontist did anything wrong, sometimes it just helps to have a fresh pair of eyes look at the situation.
Its been 6 months since I’ve had my braces off. i got braces because i had gaps between my top 4 front teeth. I Have a bonded retainer between my two front teeth. I was give two retainers hawley and essex but my essex retainer doesn’t hold one of my teeth, gaps reappear (gaps appear on my side teeth next to my two front teeth with the bonded retainer) while wearing them, i told my ortho this and he said he couldn’t get my retainer any tighter is this true? Because of this i only wear my hawley retainers and i was told to wear my retainers full time for 3 months 24/7 and then only at night. i finished my 3 months and was told to wear them at night only now but gaps reappear within hours on my teeth next to my two front teeth. What should i do? get bonded on all 4 teeth? keep wearing retainers full time?
What you are describing is not uncommon. It sounds like your orthodontist has given you every kind of retainer imaginable and the thought of wearing your retainers full time for the rest of your life doesn’t make sense. This is probably happening because your teeth are just genetically too narrow in that part of your mouth and no amount of retainer wear will fix that. My recommendation is to just wear your retainers at night only for several months until the space opening because stable (so it looks the same every day). I would then have a dentist “bond” the teeth to close the space. This will be a more stable and acceptable solution to your frustration. Good luck!
Hi, i’ve had my braces off for a couple weeks now but i’ve noticed lately with my harley retainers The wires move a lot and i’ve already got it fixed once this month and it’s not on right again , I’m scared my teeth may shift due to this buh i can’t keep going back Help Pleae?!
Hawley retainers do loosen up with use. Here are some pointers. 1) a little looseness is not a big deal as long as the plastic on the back of the teeth stays closely adapted to the teeth, 2) never remove the Hawley by pulling down on the front wire, 3) return to your orthodontist as needed if your retainer gets too loose. It will eventually “calm down” and you’ll be able to wear it without worrying about it.
I got my braces off and I can’t take off my retainer! I’ve tried every possible way and no luck. I am unable to eat or brush my teeth. My retainers hurt so badly and I’m afraid to loosen them. They feel too tight and won’t move off my incisors. I wear essix retainers and want to switch to Hawley but my ortho doesn’t make those. How do I get them off? The pain is blinding!
Try pulling them off from the inside in the back. Essix retainers loosen up with time and I’m sure that they will become easier to remove after just a few days. There are some special tools that have been designed to help patients remove Invisalign trays. You should ask your orthodontist if he can give you one of those to help you get hold of the edge of your retainer is that is the issue.
Hi there Dr. Jorgensen, today is my 2nd day I’ve had my braces off after 31 months (yay!) and I was given some clear retainers… I believe they’re called Essix? I was told to never wear them at night, and to only wear them 2-3 hours a day. I feel like this isn’t enough time, does this sound correct? Have you heard of such time? I just wanted to double check because I’m paranoid my teeth will shift. I had some incredibly stubborn gapped teeth that didn’t want to close next to my two front teeth. They’re still slightly open but not too noticeable..
I cannot give you counsel having not examined you or provided any treatment. I can share the protocol that has worked well for my patients for over 25 years – 8 hours per day whenever (most of my patients just wear them to bed and never during the day).
Hi,
Is there a way to tighten clear plastic retainers at home?
Sorry Cansise. There is no way to do that… neither at home nor in my office. You’ll need to invest in a new one that is tighter.