Will I Need a Retainer After Invisalign?

Orthodontic treatment is one of those experiences where the result is just as important as the process of getting there. Whether you are eight years old or 80 years old, every patient is laser-focused on finally getting that straight, gorgeous smile they’ve always dreamed about. The day that those braces come off or you ditch that last set of Invisalign® aligners is cause for celebration.

After all, gone are the days of watching what you eat for fear of food causing issues with your orthodontic treatment or following rules of any kind, right? Mostly, says our own J. A. Duval, DDS, in Warner Robins and Albany, Georgia, but anything worth having comes with some responsibility. In this blog, Dr. Duval explains the role of a retainer in protecting your new smile.

How Invisalign changed orthodontics

A great place to begin this topic is to provide a primer on how Invisalign changed the orthodontics landscape forever. With all the orthodontic treatment options available for adult braces, children’s braces, clear braces for all ages, and aligner tray systems like Invisalign, it’s hard to believe that not too long ago, traditional metal braces were the go-to for orthodontic treatment.

Typically, along with metal wires, brackets, arch wires, and sometimes, headgear came longer treatment plans, frequent check-in appointments, discomfort, and lots and lots of messy dental wax. All that changed when Invisalign hit the orthodontic market in 1999. Invisalign’s custom-made, clear aligner trays allow patients to discreetly undergo orthodontic treatment with more convenience and typically shorter treatment timelines. 

And it’s not just a boon for children and teens. More adults who never pursued orthodontic treatment as a child or needed to address new issues recognized Invisalign as a way to capture their dream smile. Today, one out of every four orthodontic patients is an adult. 

Orthodontics and retainers: an important pairing

While Invisalign has some distinct advantages over traditional braces, all orthodontic treatment options share one common inconvenient truth – a retainer is necessary to maintain and preserve your new, best smile. 

It may seem like a burden initially. After all, didn’t you just complete treatment? Absolutely, but it’s also a new beginning for your new smile. The easiest way to understand why wearing retainers post-treatment is critical but not something you should ignore is to look at the mechanics and science of teeth movement. 

Each time you switched to a new series of customized aligners, you took the next step to move your teeth to optimal alignment. Teeth movement is all about bone resorption and ossification. Specifically, two types of bone cells work together during the orthodontic treatment to realign your teeth and bite and manage bone resorption and ossification. 

Bone cells, called osteoclasts, break down old bone, which get reabsorbed into the bloodstream. Once your teeth move into their new spots, bone cells, called osteoblasts, take over new bone through ossification.

The ossification process seals the deal by building a stable, strong foundation for your teeth in their new location and works in coordination with your jawbone to reinforce it. Every time you chew and bite, the process prompts the osteoblasts to strengthen the bone.

Teeth take time to stabilize

The bone resorption and ossification process is yet another example of how remarkable the human body is. Ironically, bone cells, which make orthodontics happen, are also at the heart of the possibility of undoing all your hard work.

Simply, bone tissue is a living thing, which means it’s in a constant state of renewal. While your new smile looks great when orthodontic treatment ends, it takes some time for your teeth to stabilize, settle in their new positions, and stay there. Retainers hold or retain your teeth in their new spots after active treatment ends. 

Your orthodontist provides patients specific instructions on how long they need to wear their retainer based on their unique case and what orthodontic treatment they received. Generally, your orthodontist recommends you wear your retainer daily, day and night, for the first three months after active orthodontic treatment ends.

If your teeth don’t shift to their old positions after the first three months, he may reduce the amount of time you wear your retainer. Remember, retainers can’t do their work if you don’t wear them. Do yourself a favor and follow your orthodontist’s retainer recommendations, and enjoy your new smile for years.

To learn more about orthodontic treatment or retainers, schedule a free consultation with Duval Orthodontics today by contacting the office most convenient to you or booking an appointment online.