Your Teen's Life After Braces

Orthodontic treatment is one of those things where the journey is a large part of the outcome. And while your teen may be all in when it comes to finally getting that perfect selfie smile, there will be a few bumps along the way.

Forgetting to put Invisalign® trays back in after eating, or worse yet, losing them, happens. And if they are wearing traditional braces for their orthodontic treatment, things like not avoiding sticky foods or having problems keeping their teeth clean are not unusual.

So, when the final day of active orthodontic treatment comes, there’s cause for celebration. But is that it? Yes and no, says the highly skilled team at Duval Orthodontics.

How tooth movement happens

Active treatment may be in the rearview mirror, but life after braces has a few responsibilities. While responsibility gets a bad rap like most things worth having, such as a new beautiful smile, a little concerted effort goes a long way for your teen’s life after braces.

To better understand why post-treatment responsibilities are imperative, let’s do a quick overview of the mechanics of teeth movement. Whether your teen’s orthodontic treatment plan uses traditional braces or an aligner system like Invisalign, the mechanics of tooth movement are the same – gentle force or pressure moves teeth into new optimal positions throughout a treatment plan.

As your teen’s teeth move, bone cells called osteoclasts and osteoblasts do all the work, breaking down bone in the old locations and creating new bone in new places. Osteoclasts break down old bone in the previous positions and create new bone called osteoblasts in new locations through an ossification process.

Your new smile takes time to settle in

The inconvenient truth is that the day your teen’s active orthodontics treatment ends, and they ditch that last set of Invisalign trays or their orthodontist removes their braces, it’s the first day of a new beginning. This time, your teen begins their next chapter sporting the new smile they worked so hard to get, but it comes with a catch – since bone cells are a living thing, keeping your teen’s teeth in their new positions takes effort.

This next step means your teen needs to exercise a little discipline and responsibility. Specifically, your teen needs to buy into wearing a retainer to “hold” the teeth in their new locations while the bone cells get used to their new spots.

A retainer preserves your teen’s new smile

Here at Duval Orthodontics in Warner Robins and Albany, Georgia, we offer durable, high-quality retainers custom-made for our patients so they’re more comfortable.

Our caring, compassionate orthodontics team knows that retainer compliance can be challenging. We don’t judge but can help you and your teen during the retainer adjustment time. We want your teen to enjoy their new smile for many years.

The good news is that after some time, most patients may only need to wear their retainer overnight. Initially, your orthodontist recommends wear time on a case-by-case basis, depending on the patient’s treatment plan. During the first two to three months, to prevent your teen’s teeth from moving back into their old locations, they may need to wear their retainer all the time unless eating.

As your teen’s teeth settle in, we adjust the wear time accordingly. Our team provides you and your teen retainer care instructions and recommendations to make this adjustment time hassle-free. Dr. Duval and our team are passionate about creating dramatic differences in our patients’ lives and exceeding your expectations.

To learn more about orthodontic treatment and start your teen’s journey to their best smile, call Duval Orthodontics for an evaluation. Contact the office in Warner Robins or Albany, Georgia, or book an appointment online today.