Staying the Course: 4 Reasons to Wear Your Retainer

Once you wrap up an orthodontic treatment, you may want to put it behind you. That’s a common feeling – most patients would prefer to enjoy their newly-aligned smile. Even so, you must wear your retainer after the procedure is over; the device has many vital benefits. Your McKinney dentist has even stopped by to prove these facts to you. With that said, here are four reasons you should wear a retainer when you’ve finished an orthodontic treatment.

It Keeps Your Teeth Straight

First and foremost, you should wear a retainer to preserve your treatment results. Not doing so will slowly cause your teeth to turn crooked again.

You see, a retainer (per its name) helps you “retain” your straight smile. The device keeps your teeth from returning to their old, crooked positions over time. Without it, you’d lose your treatment results after a while and return to having a misaligned grin.

If there’s a bright side, you don’t need to wear it at all hours. You can start using it 3-4 days a week about six months after your initial treatment. From there, you can just wear it at night.

It Saves You Loads of Money

While orthodontic work is often pricey, it’s still a solid investment. Using a retainer ensures treatment will save you money in the long run.

Remember, retainers can make your straight smile last a lifetime. That kind of effect makes any orthodontic procedure cost-effective in the long term. If you don’t wear your retainer, though, your grin will become crooked again and require expensive re-treatment.

It Prevents Jaw Clenching

Perhaps surprisingly, a retainer doesn’t just stop your teeth from moving. Using it also keeps your jaw from clenching and grinding in most cases.

The fact is that your mouth will feel different after you finish with braces or aligners. As such, you may be tempted to clench your jaw to adapt and harm your mouth in the process. However, using a retainer reminds you not to clench and thus prevents problems like headaches and bruxism.

It Finishes the Orthodontic Job

Even if your new smile looks and feels great, a retainer could make it even better. The device has the power to finish many orthodontic procedures.

As you might know, a retainer is modeled after your fully straight smile. That design lets it gently close any remaining gaps between your teeth, even after the initial orthodontic work is done. Wearing it could easily “finish” your treatment if your original braces or aligners are removed too soon.

If you want to learn other reasons to wear your retainer, just talk to your dental provider. They’ll gladly share more about the benefits of this device.

About the Practice

Marble Dental McKinney is based in McKinney, TX. Led by Drs. Hegazin and Koro, our practice seeks to combine patient-focused dentistry with modern comforts. That means our preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments are smooth and tailored to your unique smile. Whether you’re getting a dental checkup or a retainer, we’ll make your visits easy and effective! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (214)-592-0441.