Preserve Your Orthodontic Results with a Customized Retainer

Once your Invisalign trays or braces come off and we unveil your straight, beautiful smile, the last thing you’d want is a relapse. Unfortunately, your teeth start moving back into their old positions soon after your orthodontic treatment. Good news! Global Smiles Orthodontics in Columbus, Ohio, offers customized retainers to help preserve the beautiful results you’ve worked so hard to achieve. 

Want to keep your straightened smile for years to come? A retainer offered by Dr. Edgar Mendieta acts as a silent guardian, working diligently behind the scenes to keep your orthodontic results intact.

What is an orthodontic retainer?

A retainer is a custom-designed mouthpiece for keeping teeth in their straight position. Retainers are used as a follow-up to Invisalign or braces to ensure your teeth don’t return to their original positions.

Our retainers are removable and look more like Invisalign trays. They are paper-thin and clear, so you don’t have to feel self-conscious when wearing them during the day. Moreover, you can remove them to eat and clean your teeth as usual. 

Why are dental retainers necessary?

After your orthodontic treatment, your teeth aren’t settled fully in their new positions. They may appear perfectly aligned, but the bone, gums, and surrounding tissues need time to adapt to the new changes. 

If you don’t wear a retainer, your teeth will eventually shift back to their pre-treatment positions. Unless you want to start your orthodontic treatment all over again, you must wear a retainer to preserve your hard-won results. 

A retainer puts gentle but constant pressure on your teeth to maintain their current alignment while the supportive structures adapt. Wearing a retainer ensures the long-term stability of your newly aligned smile. 

Wearing a retainer after orthodontic treatment

Once you achieve a healthy, beautiful smile with orthodontic treatment, it’s only the beginning of your journey. The post-orthodontic phase ensures you enjoy your newfound smile for a lifetime.

Like Invisalign trays, we create your retainer after taking impressions of your dentition. A bespoke retainer fits snugly over your teeth to hold your smile in proper alignment. While your retainers could be removable, you must wear them full-time, at least for the first 12 months, before resulting in nightly wear. 

How to maintain retainers

If you have just completed your treatment with clear braces, caring for retainers is no different. Brush your retainer with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Rinse your retainer in lukewarm water, but never in hot water, as it can distort its shape. 

Always ensure you brush and floss your teeth before re-inserting your retainer. Lastly, store your retainer in a clean, dry container when not in use to avoid loss or damage. When well-maintained, your retainer can last as many as 10 years before it’s due for replacement.

Safeguard your smile against orthodontic relapse!

Ready to get started with a retainer? Call (614) 230-0374 to learn more about retainers from Global Smiles Orthodontics. We can’t wait to help you maintain your healthy, perfectly aligned smile.

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