To you, the thought of braces is bittersweet: It can be positive in that braces can straighten your teeth like never before, but braces also pose many challenges. Particularly if you are a teenager or working professional, braces may appear too “juvenile” for you. For a more “adult” alternative to braces, you can choose Invisalign, but don’t think that just because you forego braces that you can also forego the retainer that orthodontic patients must wear once their braces are removed. A retainer is critical to maintaining your teeth’s new position, even after Invisalign treatment. [pullquote]Invisalign offers the advantage of being virtually invisible.[/pullquote]
Invisalign offers the advantage of being virtually invisible. This means that you can correct bite problems or crooked-teeth issues without other people even noticing. In addition, your Invisalign appliance is soft and more comfortable than traditional braces. Furthermore, you can remove your Invisalign appliance before meals, thus avoiding the hassle of having to brush and floss around wires and brackets.
However, even after you have completed Invisalign treatment, you need to wear a retainer. Immediately following treatment, your dentist may instruct you to wear a retainer for 12 hours to 22 hours a day. Once your jawbone becomes denser, you can simply wear it each night.
Wearing a retainer is necessary because after your teeth have finally shifted to their ideal location, they will not stay there on their own. The teeth tend to want to shift back to their original position. In fact, even when people have never had orthodontic treatment, their teeth have a tendency to shift as they age.
For this reason, a retainer is a crucial part of Invisalign treatment. Failure to wear your retainer can be an expensive mistake, essentially reversing several months of Invisalign treatment and thus wasting both your time and money. Invisalign is a very effective, convenient and non-invasive way to improve your teeth’s appearance without having to resort to braces. Get in touch with us today to find out whether you are a candidate for Invisalign treatment, and start smiling confidently perhaps for the first time in your life.
