Retain That Perfect Smile
Heather K. Burch Orthodontics You’ve just gotten your braces removed and it’s time to celebrate! Now that the braces have come of, the retainer has to go on. We can’t stress this enough...if you don’t wear your retainer as prescribed, your teeth are going to move out of alignment and back into their original, crooked places. Why is wearing a retainer so important? Your teeth aren't set rigidly into your jawbone like you might think. They are held in place by bands of fibrous tissue called the periodontal ligaments. After your teeth have been moved into their ideal position by your braces and/or other orthodontic appliances, it takes time for the periodontal ligaments to adjust. When you’re not wearing your retainer, pressure from your lips and tongue can cause your teeth to shift. Even if your teeth and smile don’t look like they have moved, that doesn’t mean they haven’t. If you go without wearing your retainer for long periods of time, your teeth will continue to move until...