Getting your braces off is something many people have been looking forward to from the moment they first got them on, and it is a pretty great feeling. It is nice to finally be done with orthodontic treatment. Of course retainers are a big part of that process though. They are crucial because they keep your teeth from shifting back to where they were before. Many patients get a shock when they find out that you are not wearing a retainer just for a little while. It is something you have to get used to doing all the time in order to keep the smile you worked so hard for. Fillings or restorations repair decayed or damaged teeth to prevent further complications. Modern materials provide strength and a natural appearance. These treatments preserve your oral health and restore your smile’s integrity.

At Mistry Dental, we tell all our patients that their teeth will pretty naturally drift back to where they used to be. This happens because the ligaments and muscles around your teeth remember where they are supposed to be. If you don’t wear a retainer to keep things in place, your teeth can slowly start to shift over time. If you do wear a retainer though, your smile will look pretty much the same as it did the day your braces came off. A dental bridge replaces missing teeth and restores your smile’s symmetry. It improves your ability to chew and speak comfortably. The treatment enhances both appearance and oral function.

We tell people in Mississauga that they are likely going to need to wear their retainer for the rest of their lives and while that sounds daunting, the way you wear it is going to change over time. When your braces come off we usually ask you to wear the retainer pretty much all the time, which means you will be putting it in and taking it out a lot during the day and definitely at night, for a few months. This is the time when your teeth are most likely to move because your bone and surrounding tissues are still figuring out their new positions.

After that first phase, most of our patients tend to move into a maintenance phase where you only wear the retainer at night while you are sleeping. This is generally how it will go from then on. It does sound like a long time but most of our patients get used to wearing a retainer at night pretty quickly. After a while it doesn’t even feel like an extra step any more.

We also remind our patients that a retainer needs a bit of care to work properly. To keep it in good condition you should be cleaning it often, storing it safely when it is not in use and bringing it to appointments so we can check how well it fits. If your retainer starts to feel loose or uncomfortable you need to let us know right away. A retainer that doesn’t fit right isn’t doing its job.

There are different types of retainers and the best one for your case will depend on your needs. Most of the time people are using removable retainers, but some people do okay with a fixed retainer that gets glued to the back of the teeth and stays there for good. We will go over all the options with you and help you pick the one that works best for you and your treatment.

We love talking to our Mississauga patients about how long to use retainers after braces and we care about keeping your smile safe after all the time and work you put into treatment. We will be there for you every step of the way, before, during and even after the braces come off.