Congratulations! You’ve finished your clear aligner treatment, and you now have your dream smile. That’s wonderful. Now comes the less talked about part, maintaining your straight teeth.
Important facts to know about long-term aligner results:
- Your teeth will shift back without a retainer
- You need to wear your retainer every night
- The first six months after treatment matter most
- Skipping retainer wearing can undo months of progress
Once your initial treatment is over, well, it’s not really over. Keeping your results is a matter of lifelong maintenance. Let’s dig into it.
Why Your Teeth Want to Move Back
Teeth have a kind of memory. This functions a bit differently for each person, but generally speaking, your teeth want to move back to their original position after clear aligner treatment or braces. Your bone and gums need time to harden around your teeth in their new positions. This process takes time, generally a year, but sometimes longer.
Even after your teeth have stabilized, they can still shift with age or due to tooth grinding. Without a retainer, your teeth will start to shift back to their original positions within days or weeks.
Your Post-Treatment Retainer Schedule
During the critical 3-6 months after your aligner treatment has ended, many dentists recommend that you continue to wear your retainer 22 hours per day. You should only remove the retainer when you eat, drink, or brush your teeth. This is the most critical period when your teeth are likely to shift.
After 6-12 months, your dentist may have you switch to wearing your retainer at night only. You can make this a normal part of your nighttime oral hygiene routine. Brush, floss, and pop your retainer in when you get ready for bed. You’ll keep this up for the rest of your life.
Tips for Maintaining Your Progress
You worked hard for your straight teeth and want to ensure that hard work continues to pay off over time. Here are some things you can do to keep your progress:
- Keep your retainer case with you so you don’t lose your retainer
- Always store your retainer in the case and never put it in a napkin
- Clean your retainer every morning with a soft toothbrush
- Call Antelope Creek Family Dentistry right away if your retainer gets damaged
- Come in for regular checkups so that we can monitor your teeth
- Consider getting a backup retainer made in case you lose the original
We want to make sure that you’re equipped to keep your new smile shining for many years to come!
Call Us for Clear Aligner or Retainer Help
Your new smile took months of work and dedication to make, but it can be lost in weeks without proper care. Follow your dentist’s instructions carefully after you finish clear aligner treatment, and give us a call if you have any questions about your post-aligner treatment plan. We’re standing by and ready to assist you at (402) 486-1200.