Whether You Receive Braces Or Invisalign, Retention Will Be A Vital Part Of Your Orthodontic Treatment. Orthodontic Retainers Help To Prevent Teeth From Returning To Old Positions, Protecting Your New Smile For A Lifetime. But How Long Does Retention Last? Find Out How Long You'll Need Retainers & Contact Us Today!

Do I Have To Wear My Retainer Forever?

Do I Have To Wear My Retainer Forever?
Posted on 04/01/2018

Do I Have to Wear My Retainers Forever?


At Myers Orthodontics, we're proud to offer a wide range of orthodontic treatments to help our patients achieve their dream smiles – but in addition to treatments like braces and Invisalign, orthodontic retention is a vital part of that process. While most patients know that active orthodontic treatment usually lasts anywhere from 6 months to 2 years, many patients aren't sure how long they'll need to wear a retainer for. As a comprehensive orthodontic practice serving the Knoxville area, we wanted to shed some light on this question.


How Long Do I Wear a Retainer for?


No matter what form of orthodontic treatment you receive, you'll need to go through a retention phase at the end of your treatment. Retention is vital to protecting your new smile and ensuring that your teeth maintain their new alignment. Wearing a retainer gives the tissues and ligaments that support your teeth enough time to adjust to the new alignment of your smile. Without a retainer, your teeth would simply drift back to their old positions, erasing your progress and hard work.


So how long do you wear a retainer for? While it varies from patient to patient, you'll likely need to wear your retainer 24 hours a day when you first get your braces offer. After a brief period of constant wear, you'll switch to wearing your retainer only at night. Most patients wear their retainers nightly for a period of a year or two. After this, you can wear your retainer only a few nights a week. Eventually, you'll use your retainer to check the alignment of your teeth – if it ever feels tight, you can simply wear it for a few nights to ensure your teeth maintain their positions.


Schedule a Consultation with Your Knoxville, TN Orthodontist


Retention is a critical part of protecting your new smile, and no matter what orthodontic treatment you receive from us, you'll need to use retainers as a part of your treatment. Feel free to contact us if you have more questions about retainers or orthodontic treatment in general. We look forward to hearing from you, and we're excited to help you achieve a beautiful new smile!