Dental Retention
Maintain your Family’s Investment
Dr. Cassalia believes that the retention part of your treatment is just as important as your active tooth movement phase of treatment. After alignment of your teeth, it is important to maintain your smile investment with retainers. There are many different forms of retention to consider. There are basically two general forms of retention: removable or fixed permanent retention. Dr. Cassalia recommends a combination of both forms of retention.
Fixed Permanent Retention
Fixed permanent retainers are placed immediately after the braces, removable trays or Wirelign® treatment is complete. A fixed permanent retainer is a thin stainless steel or similar wire that is bonded to the inside surface of your teeth to help maintain their position. Once the retainer is placed any lax in removable retainer wear should not be an issue. Fixed permanent retainers do require a little more maintenance in regards to oral hygiene and care in terms of not damaging the wire. Permanent retainers can be worn indefinitely with proper care and maintenance.
The use of permanent retainers have several benefits:
- It is an excellent option for an individual that may have difficulty wearing a removable retainer on a consistent basis.
- It allows for patients to keep their removable retainers at home, minimizing the possibility of losing them outside of the home.
- If a patient neglects to wear their removable retainer, the anterior teeth will maintain their position.
Dr. Cassalia recommends removing the permanent retainer wires:
- After the teeth have settled into their position and the bone around the teeth have re-established their original density.
- After the removable of the third molars (wisdom teeth).
- After a good habit of wearing removable retainers have been established.
Removable Retainers
Removable retainers are inserted a week or two after treatment and are usually worn at night while sleeping.
A Hawley retainer has an acrylic plate that is adapted to your palate on the upper arch or behind your teeth on the lower arch. A metal bar is embedded into the acrylic and wraps around the front of the teeth. Metal clasps are also used on the posterior portion of the retainer to help hold the retainer in position.
An Essix retainer is a clear plastic material that is formed to perfectly adapt to the shape of your teeth.
“We help to educate and explain
Retention is an important part of the overall orthodontic treatment plan and should be considered as a lifetime commitment. Teeth always seem to want to move back to their original position. They are subject to forces among other factors that can influence their current or new position.
