It takes about 12 to 18 months on average to complete an Invisalign treatment. During that time, you’ll wear your aligners for 22-hours every day, maintain good oral hygiene habits, and clean your trays on a regular basis. But what happens after?
Similar to an orthodontic treatment using traditional braces, most patients do have to wear a retainer after Invisalign. The specifics of retainer wear and maintenance isn’t exactly common knowledge, so if you have more questions, keep reading. You’ll find answers!
What Is The Point of A Retainer?
The point of orthodontics is indeed to straighten out crooked teeth. However, even after the treatment goal is achieved, teeth will naturally slide back out of place – unless there’s some sort of intervention. This is the exact problem a retainer is designed to resolve. Instead of applying gentle pressure to move teeth, a retainer applies pressure in order to retain your teeth’s new and improved alignment.
How Long Will I Have to Wear My Invisalign Retainer?
This is all important to know because if you don’t wear your retainer as instructed, the hard work you put into your Invisalign treatment will be completely reversed. Your teeth will become crooked once again. Mechanically, this means you’ll always have to wear a retainer after Invisalign. But don’t worry – it’s not as cumbersome as it might sound!
Are There Different Types of Retainers?
There are many different types of retainers, but the two most common are removable retainers and permanent retainers.
A removable retainer is actually a lot like Invisalign trays. They’re low-profile oral devices made out of a clear plastic material. A key difference, though, is that you’ll only have to wear your removable retainer at night while you sleep.
A permanent retainer is even more subtle. Your dentist will use a special glue to place a thin wire behind multiple (though usually not all) of your teeth. Permanent retainers do feel strange at first, but not uncomfortable, and eventually you won’t even notice it.
How Do I Take Care of My Retainer?
Permanent retainers cannot be taken out of your mouth. Your dentist will likely give you instructions on how to floss underneath the wire. Other than that, though, you won’t have to do much else in order to take good care of it.
Removable retainers require a bit more maintenance. Fortunately, it’s not much more than what you would do for your Invisalign aligners. Rinse off your removable retainer after taking it out or putting it back in your mouth, keep in stored in a secure case when you’re not wearing it, and clean it once per day with a toothbrush and hand soap. And don’t forget to clean the case at least once a week!
After you straighten your teeth with Invisalign, having to wear a retainer for the foreseeable future probably seems like a drag at first. But now that you know the upkeep is minimal and wearing one won’t change your day-to-day habits, hopefully you see your retainer as a help, not a hindrance!
About the Practice
Dr. Mu Salayta is one of our skilled dentists here at Elwood Avenue Dental, and has completed advanced training in Invisalign treatment. If you’re considering Invisalign or have more questions about what happens after treatment, Dr. Salayta would be happy to meet with you for a consultation or provide answers over the phone. Simply contact our office at 918-299-2298.