Retainers After Treatment: How Long Do You Have to Wear a Retainer?

Patients often wonder how long they have to wear retainers after treatment. As our Rosenberg orthodontists say, retainers are “nighttime for a lifetime.” When your orthodontic treatment ends, your teeth are in proper alignment. We use retainers to keep them from shifting out of position. 

Ideally, you wear your retainers at least a few nights a week for life. Typically, you don’t have to wear them during the day once your treatment is complete. However, this depends on your specific situation. Our Rosenberg orthodontics team guides you through the process so that you understand what to do. 

What Are Retainers? 

A retainer is a personalized orthodontic item. We rely on retainers after treatment to maintain all the hard work you went through. In a sense, it puts you in “maintenance mode” after your orthodontic treatment. 

In order to keep your teeth in proper alignment, it’s essential to wear a retainer. This is true for both traditional braces and Invisalign. Teeth have a memory in a way. At the end of your treatment, they start to shift back to their former position. While it’s unlikely that all of your teeth will shift back, we want to protect the gains made throughout your orthodontic care. 

To prevent this shift from happening, we design personalized retainers to keep your teeth in their new, aligned position. 

Types of Retainers

There are a few different types of retainers. After treatment, they all work toward the same goal. However, how they work and how you wear them varies a bit. Below, we cover a bit more information about the main types of retainers. 

Metal or Hawley Retainers

When it comes to wearing retainers after treatment, these are a classic model. This type of retainer is made of acrylic or hard plastic as well as metal wire. Like all retainers, we customize these for your mouth to fit snugly behind your teeth and the roof of your mouth. 

While the metal wire might remind you of traditional braces, you have the power to remove them. Specifically, you remove them to eat and for your oral hygiene routine. Moreover, you’ll remove it to clean the retainer. 

Metal Retainers After Treatment

At the end of your orthodontic treatment, you wear this type of retainer full-time. That means it stays in day and night. However, this only lasts for 6-9 months in most cases. 

Still, you remove it to eat, drink, brush your teeth, floss, and clean the retainer. Over time, you transition to only wearing your retainer at night every night. When your orthodontist feels your teeth set, you adjust down to 4-5 nights each week. 

At that point, you should wear it a few nights a week forever to maintain your straight smile. This type of retainer is fairly sturdy and designed to last you for a few years. However, eventually, it needs to be replaced. At this point, your Rosenberg orthodontist fits you for a new retainer. 

Additionally, it’s important to replace your retainer after you break or lose it. Moreover, this type of retainer is easier to repair. This means our orthodontics team might be able to reshape and fix it. 

Clear Removable Retainers: Vivera Retainers

Clear, plastic retainers are similar to Invisalign aligner trays. We customize them to fit snugly over the teeth and provide two trays. When you wear these retainers after treatment, they are nearly invisible. Oftentimes, patients find these more comfortable than other types of retainers. 

Vivera Retainers After Treatment

After your orthodontic treatment, you wear these retainers full-time day and night. This lasts for a few months, with you removing them for meals and oral hygiene. The precise length of this stage depends on your orthodontist’s recommendation. We base our decision on the condition of your teeth with proper maintenance in mind. 

Over time, you reduce use and wear them only at night. After a year or so, we might switch down to a few nights per week. Next, it’s down to nighttime for a lifetime.  

Vivera retainers after treatment are sturdy but not built to last. This means we have to replace them eventually. Additionally, when it breaks, we need to replace it. 

Generally speaking, it’s simple to create new sets of these retainers. With a quick replacement, we avoid any potential shifting. When not wearing the retainer, it’s essential to keep it in your case. This and regular cleanings help them last as long as possible. 

Bonded Retainers

Unlike the other types of retainers, a bonded retainer is permanent. With a small metal wire on the back of the teeth, we help to ensure the progress achieved through treatment stays in place. Because it stays in place at all times, you never have to worry about it. Your orthodontist might use a bonded retainer on the top or bottom teeth. However, it is far more common for the bottom teeth. 

Generally speaking, bonded retainers last for years, even decades. This makes it much easier to comply with the orthodontist’s instructions. 

Bonded Retainers After Treatment

Your Rosenberg orthodontist installs a bonded retainer after your treatment is complete. Unless it breaks, you don’t have to worry about replacing it. In the event it does break, visit your orthodontist immediately to avoid and shifting. 

With a bonded retainer, brushing and flossing under the wire is essential. It’s easy for food or debris to get stuck under there, which can lead to bacteria. 

To floss properly, you need a floss threader. Moreover, be careful not to put too much pressure on the retainer. While you don’t need to avoid crunchy foods forever, maybe hold off for a bit to allow it to set. 

Retainers After Treatment: Learn More with Our Rosenberg Orthodontists

When you work with our Rosenberg orthodontists, we are there for you throughout your treatment. Whether you opt for traditional braces or Invisalign, we monitor your progress so that we keep your personalized treatment plan accurate. 

When it’s time for a retainer, we let you know what we think is necessary to maintain your progress. After all, our goal is to give you the smile of your dreams. We want to keep that work in place!

If you have questions about braces, retainers, or orthodontic treatment in Rosenberg, call our team today!