Retainers – What are they?
Do you have a friend who wears retainers? Have you ever wondered what it is?
A retainer is a removable orthodontic appliance that should be worn after the orthodontist removes your braces. The teeth have the tendency to go back to it’s original position when removed and the retainers helps prevent it from occurring.
Usually, upper retainers are made of hard plastic and wire that fits in the room of the mouth. On the other hand, the lower retainer can be removed permanently cemented to the lower teeth to prevent it from coming out.
In the first several months, your orthodontist would require you to use the retainers all the time and after that, the orthodontist will finally decide how often should the retainers be worn or if you still need to wear it. It is very tempting not to wear your retainers, but if you don’t want to wear braces again, you have to follow your orthodontist’s instructions.