Now that the routine braces adjustments have finally brought your child’s teeth into proper alignment, they can be removed. However, there will still be a small amount of residual tension in the ligaments holding each tooth in its socket. To ensure their teeth remain in this new position, your son or daughter will need to use a retainer. Without it, their teeth could gradually drift out of alignment and relapse toward their original position.

To prevent this from happening, Dr. Michael Bowen will fit them for a retainer. Wearing it during the prescribed times will help their teeth maintain their ideal alignment while any lingering tension in the dental sockets dissipates.

At first their mouth might produce more saliva for a few days when using the retainer. This is to be expected and over the course of a few days their mouth should adapt and normalize.

Your orthodontist might change the times and durations they need to wear the retainer based on the progress their teeth show.

It’s also important to note that if their retainer is damaged or they fail to consistently use it during the prescribed times, it will likely increase the total amount of time they’ll need to use it. With full compliance, you should expect to use the retainer for about the same amount of time it took for their braces to realign their teeth.

If you child is due to have their braces removed soon and you have questions about retainers in Scottsdale, Arizona, you can always call 480-948-4200 to speak to our team at Great Big Smiles Orthodontics.