Permanent Retainer
Would you like to maintain a brilliant alignment of your teeth? If you do you will need a retainer. Many of you may become conscious of your looks every time you face people. Your hair, your nose, your lips, your teeth, and anything on your face should be presentable most of the time. That is why many of you put retainers such as Permanent Retainer to your teeth to keep them aligned.
Good features of your face most especially your teeth (for a killer smile) captivate several people. If you are about to use it what are the things you should know about using it? Ugly teeth?
People today are very much aware of how braces solve many dental problems. What these people may neglect is the importance of retainers be they removable or permanent retainers. There is the possibility that without using a retainer, any good thing done by braces may not last long. If there is no retainer to maintain the action of the braces.
A retainer is the partner of braces in correcting badly aligned teeth. In some cases, it is removable and not easily visible just like some kinds of braces.
Types of Permanent Retainer
Of the two devices to align crooked teeth, retainer stays longer in your mouth. Some use this for a couple of years or more, depending on how the straightness of the teeth needs to be maintained. Due to the time period which it takes to wear, it is important that you choose a type that is comfortable for your mouth.
Wearing a retainer is like wearing braces where the device can interfere with your speech and eating habits. In the selection, you can select a removable or permanent retainer. You can also consider selecting between the visible and invisible or wire and clear kind.
Here are 3 choices for your retainer.
Permanent retainer
This is also known as the bonded retainer. This is a type of wire that is permanently attached to the teeth after the braces are off. It is installed in most cases behind the lower front teeth.
It is not common to be used on the upper teeth as it may interfere with the wearer’s biting. This stays permanently in the mouth for two or more years.
Wire retainer
This is the traditional kind of retainer which had also been referred to as the Hawley retainer. The main benefit of using this is its adjustability to the minor movement of the corrected teeth alignment.
It consists of two parts – the wire that you can see in front of the teeth and the acrylic fitted behind the teeth. The plastic part that is attached to the wire is available in different colors and patterns. It makes the retainer interesting to the wearer, especially if he or she is still of younger age. This is usually worn full-time.
Clear plastic retainer
This is also called Essix retainer. As it is clear, it is almost invisible, much like the Invisalign braces. This retainer is usually installed in the mouth almost immediately after the removal of braces – one or two days after.
This is worn for two years, every night after which the orthodontist may change into a wire retainer if the need arises.
Importance of Permanent Retainer
You know the value of a beautiful smile. It is an asset that contributes to making the face look pretty and glorious.
But what constitutes a beautiful smile? Is it the set of pearly white and aligned teeth? They are so because you took proper care of them through permanent retainer orthodontic devices.
A visit to the dentist is not always enough. Every tooth doctor cannot always make your teeth perfect. You need a special oral doctor to install braces as well as a removable or permanent retainer. This will help for a better smile and make your teeth develop in the right way.
Even if your teeth had already all been grown badly, there is still big hope to correct them. You just have to visit an orthodontist.
The first step is to align and correct the imperfections of your teeth via the braces for adults. These can be removable invisible braces or they can be the visible metal wire kinds. Once the teeth are already set in their proper places, a removable or fixed retainer should be placed in the mouth. It is a long process that may take several years to complete.
Difference between the removable and permanent retainer
The two major types of retainers are removable and permanent. The difference between them is as follows.
Permanent retainer
A permanent retainer is attached to the teeth. Since your teeth have the tendency to shift in position, the fixed type of retainer offers long-term straightening results. This is made of stainless steel wire that is flexible.
This is bonded to the teeth making them prone to food restrictions. It becomes difficult to floss the teeth which makes it impossible to clean the teeth completely. It is attached forever until you suffer gingivitis due to it.
Removal retainer
This is easier to use; you can wear it during the day and remove it when you sleep. You may even choose to wear it or not at any time. But since you may have the tendency to forget to wear it, you do not optimize its use.
But the advantage is the ease to clean the teeth properly. However, this is not as effective as the permanent retainer.
Importance of Permanent Retainer
Before justifying the use of a permanent retainer. You should first understand why there is a need for the use of the retainer when the teeth had already been corrected with braces. Some then stop after the braces are off as they see the flawless set of teeth.
When you cease your orthodontic treatment with braces. There is a tendency for the teeth to go back to their original position before the installation of braces.
A retainer needs to be used after the removal of braces to maintain the newly acquired teeth’ position and arrangement. Teeth, after braces are removed, tend to move within the gums. It is sad to note that they go back to where they were – thus the need for the retainer.
These tooth appliances take different forms and there is always a good reason to choose the permanent retainer. This sort of retainer is placed at the back of the teeth, bonded well so it stays where it is – round the clock or 24/7.
Choosing the permanent bonded retainer, you will find it also almost invisible because of its location. As it is never removed, it really keeps the teeth in place. However, it also has a drawback. Many users could not tolerate its installation because it causes some abrasions in their tongues, gums, or lips.
The result is a switch to the removable kind. You can choose from the different available braces in much the same way that you can choose from three different kinds of retainer.
Pros and Cons of Permanent or Bonded Retainer
Although there are already invisible clear kinds of retainer. There is still a big difference in making use of the permanent retainer. This is the bonded kind, glued and permanently installed in your mouth – at the back of your front lower teeth. It is very common that after removing your braces, the orthodontist will first install this bonded retainer.
For proper oral hygiene or oral health, you should clean your retainer regularly. How to clean a retainer? With a good response, the permanent retainer can be replaced in six-month times with a removable kind such as the Essix retainer.
- It is difficult to maintain because it is hard to brushing and flossing unless you use a special type such as floss threader to make flossing easy.
- As placed behind the teeth, this can be a bother when biting or eating.
- It can even scratch the gums and tongue.
- Some make use of dental wax to feel comfortable using the bonded retainer.
- The good thing though is that it is very effective in retaining the correction made by the braces.
- As it is located behind the teeth, proper installation will make it non-visible to a lot of people.
Some wearers of braces and retainers opt for the wire visible types Why?
These young generations believe that wearing these dental devices is a form of status as this is a very costly procedure. But professional adults take preference the invisible kind. So that it would not be very evident that they are having teeth alignment treatment.
Whatever the reason, there are dental experts who still go for the permanent retainer as this is more effective. How to clean a retainer?
