Retainers
Orthodontics Retainer
During orthodontic treatment your teeth are held in position by your braces, but once they’re removed, stretched elastic fibers in the gum try to pull the teeth back to their original position – something we call “orthodontic relapse”. It takes time for these fibers to remodel and stop pulling on the teeth.
Retainers will be custom-made to fit you perfectly. We’ll take impressions of your teeth when we remove your braces and fit your retainers the following week. Don’t worry if your teeth move slightly in the meantime – your retainers will squeeze everything back into place.
There are 3 kinds of retainer:
- Hawley retainer
This retainer design typically involves wires and clasps anchored around the six anterior teeth and keeps them in place by incorporating 2 omega loops for adjustment with a relatively thick plastic body. This covers over the roof of the patient's mouth or else lies along the tongue side of their lower teeth. Sometimes it's constructed using plastic that has bold colors or a personalized design.
Pros:
- The metal wires can be adjusted to guide your teeth back into place.
- Easy to construct.
- Allows prosthetic tooth/teeth to be added on.
Cons:
- Inferior aesthetics.
- Interference with speech.
- Risk of fracture.
- Inferior retention of lower incisors in comparison to vacuum-formed retainers.
- May trick mouth into producing extra saliva.
- Clear retainer
Retainer is made from a vacuum formed retainer. This is a polypropylene or polyvinylchloride (PVC) material, which is more economical and faster to make, typically .020" or .030" thick.
Pros:
- Less expensive.
- Less visible.
- Easier to wear than Hawley retainers.
Cons
- Prone to rapid breakage and deterioration in patient who has bruxism.
- May trick mouth into producing extra saliva.
- Fixed Retainer
Pros:
- Good for poor compliance patient.
- Less annoying.
Cons:
- Increased difficulty in cleanliness as dental floss cannot be used.
- Patient requires regular dental visits.