Retention refers to the means by which the teeth are kept in place following the end of orthodontic treatment commonly known as braces.
Why Do We Need Retention?
We now know that this is just as important as the phase when braces are working their magic and moving the teeth into place. With braces becoming ever more popular it is important to understand the role retention has in keeping your new smile looking great and avoiding teeth moving out of place.
Teeth move throughout life, mainly drifting forward. We also know that teeth sit in equilibrium between the lips and cheeks on one side and the tongue on the other, known as the neutral zone. As teeth move forward the lips tend to push back resulting in crowding. This can be seen as we get older and our front teeth begin to twist over.
Moving the teeth into a new position with braces is inherently unstable. The teeth will naturally want to go back to some degree, to their original positions. This is more likely if a tooth is moved over a larger distance.
We also know that the whole face, including jaw bones, changes throughout life. This will have an effect on tooth positions.
It is therefore imperative that a form of retention is used to help keep the teeth stable. This also has to be lifelong. Failure to do this will inevitably lead to movement of the teeth.
There are different methods of retention and I will discuss these next time. If you can’t wait and need a retainer I would be happy to see you to discuss things further. You can book online here