Many people wonder if the braces have done their job, then why do they need retainers afterwards? In fact, so many consumers and dental patients have asked if retainers really are necessary. The truth is that retainers are indeed an extremely important part of dental treatment and anyone who spends the money and time to get corrective braces can have all that work undone simply by refusing to follow up with retainers. When dentists give an order about using retainers, there’s a good reason for it.

Retainers are customized for each individual who needs them, and is most common with children in order to help make sure that the teeth develop the way that they are supposed to although many adults receive them for treatment as well. The retainer is made of a combination of plastic and metal, and each one is customized to perfectly fit the individual who needs them. After the braces do the heavy lifting of getting the teeth lined up the way they’re supposed to look, the retainers are a much lower impact way of keeping the teeth, gums, and muscle fibers in the right place. Given enough time, the teeth can be permanently fixed, but they still receive daily support even after the braces are removed. This is where the follow up retainer use comes in.

Generally speaking, after braces are removed the retainer needs to be worn at all times other than eating for up to a full six months after the braces are removed. While patients must visit a dentist before receiving further go ahead, normally after six months the retainer only needs to be worn while sleeping. This stage of healing might still last several months or even a couple years, as the tissue, ligaments, and other pieces of the jaw must have time to set correctly as there will be a tendency for the mouth to return to its previously incorrect form. By wearing a retainer for as long as is necessary afterwards, you are assuring that the work the braces did stays solid and that eventually you will have fully healthy and stable teeth, gums, and supporting ligaments and fibers that won’t need further assistance anymore.

Retainers are especially important for kids and teenagers who need braces. The reason for this is that as people continue to grow, their jaw, gums, teeth, and supporting structures all shift and change as well. Because of this, the teeth won’t stay in the same place as the person grows, meaning that a retainer is necessary in order to keep the teeth looking healthy and in the right place.

Patients should know that retainers after braces is a completely normal process and anyone getting braces is pretty safe in assuming that it’s only a matter of time until the retainer treatment follows. The amount of time a patient needs to wear the retainer and when makes a huge difference from one patient to another. Some will need to wear a retainer constantly for a long period of time while others will only need to wear it while sleeping or may find within a year that the treatment is no longer needed. The key is to get professional advice and to follow that advice perfectly to get a fully healthy jaw full of healthy teeth.