After Braces, a Retainer Will Help Keep Your Smile Straight

You’ve done it. You finished your time with braces and now you have a beautifully straight and even smile. Dr. Brenna Christensen has checked that your mouth is functioning well, and now it’s time to remove the braces! Now it’s time to make sure that progress stays by using a retainer.

The retention phase of orthodontics care is incredibly important to keeping the straight smile you now enjoy. A custom retainer will combat the pull from the periodontal ligaments trying to move the teeth back to where they were. You will have to use the retainer until the tension subsides.

Since the ligaments anchoring your teeth are always changing tension, our orthodontist might change what time of day your need to wear it and how long. Most of the time, you will need to wear a retainer as long as you wore your braces.

For the first few days after you start wearing a retainer, your mouth might salivate more. This is natural and to be expected. After a while, your mouth will adapt and your saliva production will return to normal.

If your braces are about to be removed, and you have questions about retainers, you can call West Cobb Orthodontics’s office in Kennesaw, Georgia at (678) 401-4321 for a consultation.