A Retainer After Getting Braces Will Help Keep Your Smile Straight

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You’ve done it. You finished your time with braces and now you have a beautifully straight and even smile. Dr. Scott Ervin has checked that your mouth is functioning well, and now it’s time to remove the braces! Now it’s time to make sure that progress stays by using a retainer.

The periodontal ligaments that anchor your teeth in your mouth are still trying to pull your teeth back to their original positions. The customized retainer our orthodontist makes for you will combat that pull. You will need to wear the retainer until the tension eases so there’s no more danger of relapse.

Since the ligaments anchoring your teeth are always changing tension, our orthodontist might change what time of day your need to wear it and how long. Most of the time, you will need to wear a retainer as long as you wore your braces.

For the first few days after you start wearing a retainer, your mouth might salivate more. This is natural and to be expected. After a while, your mouth will adapt and your saliva production will return to normal.

If your braces are about to be removed, and you have questions about retainers, you can call Dr. Scott A. Ervin, DDS’s office in Terrell, Texas at 972-563-1670 for a consultation.