The Invisalign journey is an exciting one for those looking forward to a beautiful, straighter smile. But what happens following your last set of aligners – are the changes to your teeth permanent, or will you need to take further steps to keep your smile in perfect condition? If you want to make the most of your investment, you’ll need to wear your retainers for the rest of your life once your treatment is over. Here’s why.
The Importance of Wearing a Retainer Following Invisalign Treatment
Following orthodontic treatment, your teeth will not stay in their new positions indefinitely. Over time, they’ll try to stubbornly move back into their original, incorrect positions, meaning your smile will gradually become less straight if you don’t wear your retainer. Other orthodontic issues, such as bite misalignment, might also return without the proper use of a retainer.
Also, you just invested lots of your personal time and money into taking care of yourself and getting a healthier mouth. If you don’t wear your retainer, you will have just wasted all of that effort, and you’ll need to start over. When teeth move back to their unhealthy positions, you are right back at square one.
As a reminder, teeth that are crooked or misaligned are more difficult to clean and offer more hiding spots for cavity-causing bacteria. Also, when your bite is misaligned, it can cause TMJ pain as well as the breaking or chipping of teeth. Both of these things can be avoided when your teeth are in healthy alignment, though. This means that wearing a retainer doesn’t just benefit your smile’s aesthetics – it also helps to mitigate certain dental issues.
How Long Do I Have to Wear Retainers After Invisalign?
If you want your smile to stay straight and your oral health to remain in peak condition, you’ll need to wear your aligners for the rest of your life once treatment is over. At first, the bone and gums in your jaw won’t be familiar with your newly straightened teeth, and it could even take a few years for the remodeling process to fully wrap up. Factor in the continued facial and dental growth that occurs as we age, and teeth still have the capacity to move and shift. You’ll be advised on your options when it comes to retainers after you’ve wrapped up the last stages of your Invisalign treatment.
Remember, no matter your age or the extent of your treatment, it’s always going to be worth taking the extra step and wearing a retainer following Invisalign – after working so hard to achieve successful results, that last thing you should want is for them to disappear due to negligence!
About the Practice
Under the leadership of Dr. Tricia Mockler, our team here at Mockler Dental proudly serves the dental needs of patients in Campbell and the surrounding area. We’re excited to offer a wide variety of preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatment solutions, including Invisalign clear aligners. If you have any questions about the blog, or you’d like to get in touch with us to set up an appointment, you can reach out online or call today for additional information. Telephone: (408) 871-0877.