Retainers for Life-You’re Kidding, Right?

Now let me explain. Retainers are important for a lifetime because as we age teeth shift just like other body parts, right? Even people who never had braces and always had straight teeth might see some changes occurring later in life.

At Dr. George’s we recommend full time retainer wear for the first six months after your braces are removed. That means 24 hours a day. You can take them out when you eat and brush your teeth. After the first six months you can go down to night time wear. It is important to keep this up for a year. At that time, it is okay to reduce it down to a couple of nights a week to maintain the alignment. If you want them to remain straight for the rest of your life, keep this simple routine up.

We have many adults who had braces as youngsters and are back in braces now because they didn’t wear their retainers. Your retainer is your guarantee that your teeth will stay straight and your smile beautiful for the rest of your life!