Month: July 2022

Retainers sometimes help align teeth with a small degree of irregularity that can be straightened without braces. Even people with braces are likely given a retainer after removing braces to prevent shifting.

Retainers are strong, but with time, they show wear and tear. Gradually, many patients struggle with the yellowing of their retainers. The retainer keeps collecting bacteria, plaque, and tartar from the mouth while you wear it. Over time, it may even smell or taste funny if you don’t clean it often enough. This can occur due to the buildup of plaque and stains from certain types of foods. 

Some bacteria are naturally found in the mouth, but when too many bacterias build up, they can cause severe damage to teeth or certain illnesses. Retainers can shelter dangerous bacteria like Streptococcus, including S. sanguinis, S. mitis, S. salivarius, Lactobacillus, and Veillonella. 

Retainers quickly accumulate plaque and begin to yellow if they are not properly cleaned after each wear. Collected plaque on retainer can lead to yellowing of teeth. It is essential not to skip dental hygiene. Make sure to clean your retainer regularly, just like you brush your teeth. It would help if you floss at least once or after every meal, to avoid food stuck between your teeth.

How to keep your retainer clean and avoid yellow teeth?

After you are done with your Invisalign treatment, your dentist will give you a set of retainers to wear; a retainer is the last step of your Invisalign treatment. After completing your teeth straightening process, you have to wear retainers to ensure your teeth stay in place.

Retainers are similar in appearance to aligners. They are also transparent and custom-made to fit your teeth. But unlike aligners, you don’t have to wear your retainers 22 hours of the day. Your dentist might suggest you wear your retainers while sleeping or during the day.

The main job of your retainer is to keep your teeth in the same position after the Invisalign process. Your teeth tend to shift back to their original position even after the teeth straightening treatment, and wearing retainers prevent the same. 

There are certain restrictions and rules that you have to follow while wearing retainers, such as eating and flossing, and brushing precautions. Your dentist will guide you about these precautions, which are vital to follow; otherwise, they can harm the quality and the treatment process of the retainer. 

Precautions to take with retainers

The time and process of the Invisalign treatment depend on your tooth condition. It can take up to 6 to 12 months for your Invisalign treatment to finish. Once you are done with the Invisalign treatment, you will notice a more straight and prominent smile. Invisalign is one of the most used teeth straightening treatments that helps reposition the teeth.

After you finish the refinement process, the last of the Invisalign treatment is to wear retainers. Retainers are a part of orthodontic treatment. It is mandatory to wear retainers after the Invisalign or teeth straightening treatment to ensure your teeth do not shift back to their previous position. Just like any other dental treatment, you also need to take precautions and prevention, so the treatment does not relapse. Therefore, to avoid dental relapse as a last step in the Invisalign treatment, you must wear retainers.

People often ask if it is important to wear retainers as the last step in their Invisalign treatment and the answer is yes. The teeth tend to shift back to their original position even after the orthodontic treatment; therefore, to avoid the shift wearing retainers is vital. Your dentist will give you custom-made, clear retainers and guide you on how long you need to wear retainers to ensure your teeth stay in place.

How does retainer work?

In simple terms, overcorrection is known as the tooth movement beyond the ideal final position that is built into the aligner to compensate for the lag in tooth movement. Overcorrection helps in moving the tooth to reach the desired final position.

Overcorrection aligners, also known as refinement aligners, are used to adjust specific teeth in your mouth into a position just past perfect alignment.

Now and again, certain teeth are bound to become misaligned quickly after orthodontic treatment. These aligners ensure they remain in better alignment if they begin to shift.

Are overcorrection aligners effective?

Do you need overcorrection aligners?