Braces off - now I have to wear WHAT ?!

Why wear your retainers?

You’ve spent the better part of 2 years or more with contraptions on your teeth... Hoooray!!! Now it's braces removal day.

You farewell the metal and skippety doo daa happily away! 

Only to return a few hours later to have your removable retainer fitted…what?

The fact is that when you reach the "end" of your braces journey, your teeth have been subtly shifting over the final few months into their delightfully perfected resting place. 

However, osteoclasts start to break down bone to make space for the tooth to move and the osteoblasts stabilise the new position. This takes many months to complete which is why it is important to wear your retainers after your braces are removed!

Yes yes, Ok, we know that it is all horrid and slobbery and feels huge after your newfound freedom buttttt.... you WILL get used to it!

You wouldn’t want to invest all that time and money only to behave like a whiny baby and not wear your retainers and risk some of your teeth relapsing to their former incorrect resting place now, would you?

Let those lovely osteoblasts and osteoclasts do their job and give them all the support you can and you will enjoy your gorgeous new look for life!

(The "dog ate it" is excuse is not valid).
 

This Australian Society of Orthodontists' blog was based on content supplied by MOG - Melbourne Orthodontic Group.