Different types of retainer braces
Getting the braces off (end of teeth straightening treatments) is followed with retainers. Your Orthodontist will recommend retainers regardless of the type of orthodontic treatment you received. This is because the teeth repositioned with dental braces should be stabilized to prevent them from becoming crooked or crowded again. In particular cases, dentists make minor corrections in the aligned teeth during this retention phase.
In this post, our orthodontists have explained the different types of retainers along with their pros and cons.
Different Types of Retainers
The retainer braces are primarily categorized as removable and fixed but both retainer types tend to keep your teeth straight after removing braces.
1) Permanent Retainers
Permanent retainer (or) Fixed lingual retainer is recommended for people who had extensive orthodontic works. Similarly, people who had crooked, rotated teeth, and extensive space between the teeth before wearing dental braces should wear permanent retainers to keep the straightened teeth stay in place.
Similar to metallic braces, it consists of a wire but it is cemented to the backside of the teeth.
Pros
- High durability
- As it is attached to the teeth’s backside, no one can notice this retainer brace.
Cons
- It is hard to clean.
- High chances of plaque build-up.
2) Hawley Retainers
Hawley retainers consist of a tray made with a hard plastic shell and it is attached to a wire that fits over the front surface of your teeth. This retainer type is available in a variety of customs and colors. This retainer brace can be adjusted so that dentists can make minor changes to the alignment in teeth after removing dental braces.
Pros
- Easy to clean
- Easy to fix and adjust
- Available in different colors
Cons
- It is noticeable
3) Clear Plastic Retainers
Clear aligners are also known as Essix Retainers are custom-made appliances fabricated with molded clear plastic and easily fit over the teeth. Apart from maintaining the alignment, dentists recommend this kind of braces for people who have night bruxism to prevent their teeth from the harmful effects of teeth grinding.
Pros
- Available at reasonable prices
- They are easily adjustable
- They are not noticeable
- You can remove these retainers when you want
Cons
- The clear retainers are not strong as other retainers
- It gets fade and discoloration over time and they are highly visible.
Bottom line
The Orthodontic treatments should undergo the phase of retention to sustain the teeth’s positions in their new placements. Hence dentists advise you to wear retainers day and night for months after removing the teeth straightening braces.
Your Orthodontist will recommend the appropriate retainer brace as per the degree of teeth misalignment problem you had.
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