What Happens if You Stop Wearing Your Retainer?

A retainer is a dental device that fits over your teeth to prevent them from shifting out of place. Most commonly, retainers are used to protect your results of orthodontic treatments, like metal braces or Invisalign®.  

In other words, a retainer helps you ‘retain’ the results of your treatment. While some people resist the idea of wearing a retainer, our experienced dentists at Park Dental NYC strongly recommend that you do so you can keep your teeth in alignment.

Yookyung Park, DDS, and Pat Ng-A-Fook, DDS, design a treatment plan to ensure the best outcome for your treatment. They offer custom-made retainers that fit well and are comfortable to wear.

What to know about dental retainers

Retainers are designed to keep your teeth in their new, straighter position after your braces are removed or when you finish your Invisalign treatment.

There are two types of retainers available, including:

Removable retainer

A removable retainer is easily removable for eating or cleaning. Some are made with a wire that’s attached to acrylic or plastic. Others are wire-free and made of durable plastic materials.

Fixed retainer

A fixed retainer isn’t removable. Instead, we bond the device to the upper or lower teeth with a dental agent.

After an orthodontic treatment, it takes time for your bones and muscles to adapt to the change and a retainer is an essential final step. The goal of retainer use is to keep your bone and soft tissues from moving out of their aligned position.

Consequences of not wearing a retainer

Everyday movements like chewing put pressure on your teeth, which can ultimately shift them out of place.

If you forget to wear your retainer or aren’t wearing it for the recommended amount of time, your teeth can move back out of alignment. This can lead to a recurrence of a bite problem (malocclusion), such as an overbite, crossbite, or underbite.

The return of teeth alignment issues might mean that you need additional orthodontic treatment to restore your smile and oral health. This is both time-consuming and costly.

Wearing your retainer as directed saves you a lot of expense and hassles.

What to expect from your new retainer

A custom-made retainer is designed to fit snugly but comfortably over your teeth. The more you wear it, the more comfortable it becomes as your gums and tongue adapt to the device.

Most people need to wear a retainer daily for up to six months before switching to part-time use. Part-time usually involves wearing your retainer overnight while you sleep, which you may need to do for the rest of your life.

Caring for your retainer is easy. You should clean it once a day and return it to a protective case, so it doesn’t get lost or broken. It’s also important that you keep track of your retainer when you take it out to eat, so you don’t accidentally throw it away.

Before putting your retainer in, be sure to brush and floss your teeth. Avoid chewing gum or eating sticky foods when wearing your retainer to keep it in good condition. If your retainer doesn’t fit well or breaks, speak with our team about a replacement.

Call the Park Dental NYC office in Midtown East Manhattan, New York, today to schedule a retainer fitting or book a consultation online.