Maintain Your Stunning Orthodontic Results at Jacklyn Kurth Orthodontics
Maintain Your Stunning Orthodontic Results at Jacklyn Kurth OrthodonticsNow that you’ve completed your orthodontic treatment, you’ll want to focus on maintaining your newly aligned smile. While your new smile is straight for now, teeth can shift to their original positions without retention efforts. Thankfully, orthodontic retainers are comfortable, keep your teeth in line, and protect your bite alignment for years after treatment. Our Foster City and Belmont orthodontists, Dr. Jacklyn Kurth and Dr. Laura Chew, offer several orthodontic retainers to help our patients keep their new smiles looking perfect.
What Are Retainers?
Orthodontic retainers are custom-made devices that hold your teeth in their newly aligned position. After undergoing orthodontic treatment, such as braces or clear aligners, retainers play a crucial role in maintaining the corrected position of your teeth. They prevent your teeth from shifting back to their original misaligned state, ensuring the longevity of your beautiful smile.
At Jacklyn Kurth Orthodontics, we understand the significance of orthodontic retainers in the final stages of your treatment. Our orthodontists will guide you through the retainer options available and provide the retainer that best suits your needs and lifestyle.
The Benefits of Orthodontic Retainers
Maintaining Teeth Alignment
Orthodontic retainers are essential for preserving the alignment of your teeth. As your teeth move during orthodontic treatment, they adapt to their new position. However, without a retainer, your teeth may shift gradually into their original misaligned state. Wearing a retainer as prescribed by your Bay Area orthodontist will ensure your teeth remain corrected to provide long-lasting results.
Preventing Crowding
Teeth crowding is a common issue that can occur after orthodontic treatment in which teeth shift together and overlap, creating misalignment problems. Retainers help prevent this problem by maintaining sufficient space between your teeth. By wearing your retainer as recommended, you can avoid the need for additional orthodontic treatment to correct crowding issues in the future.
Enhancing Bite Alignment
In addition to teeth alignment, orthodontic retainers also play a role in maintaining bite alignment. Retainers help ensure that your upper and lower teeth properly fit together to optimize your bite. This not only improves the appearance of your smile but also enhances the functionality of your teeth and jaw.
Aesthetic Benefits
Orthodontic retainers are available in various styles, including transparent and removable options. These discreet retainers are less noticeable, allowing you to maintain confidence while wearing them. You can confidently wear your retainer throughout the day without feeling self-conscious about your orthodontic treatment.
Our Orthodontic Retainer Options at Jacklyn Kurth Orthodontics
Traditional (Hawley) Wire Retainers
Traditional (Hawley) retainers consist of a metal wire that surrounds the front teeth and is attached to an acrylic arch, creating a customized fit for each patient. This design allows for retention and minor adjustments, ensuring continued alignment and stability. Our Bay Area orthodontists can adjust the metal wires, enabling them to make precise modifications as needed to achieve the desired results.
Clear Aligner Retainers
Aligner-style (Essix) retainers are a discreet, popular option for maintaining teeth alignment after orthodontic treatment. Made from smooth, transparent plastic, Vivera® Retainers in Foster City and Belmont are custom-designed to fit snugly over your teeth, providing a nearly invisible appearance. These clear aligner retainers, created by the designers of Invisalign®, offer the advantage of being removable, allowing for easy cleaning and oral hygiene maintenance.
Fixed Wire Retainers
Fixed wire (bonded) retainers are a permanent solution for maintaining the alignment of your teeth. These retainers consist of a thin wire attached to the back surfaces of your teeth using dental adhesive. Once in place, these retainers remain securely bonded, providing continuous support to prevent unwanted tooth movement. Unlike removable retainers, fixed wire retainers can only be removed by a professional, offering constant retention without the risk of forgetting to wear or misplacing the retainer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long you’ll need to wear your retainer varies, depending on your orthodontic treatment plan. In most cases, your dentist will advise you to wear your retainer full-time at first and then transition to wearing it only at night. However, it’s important to follow your orthodontist’s instructions to maintain the results achieved from your orthodontic treatment.
Cleaning your retainer is essential to maintain good oral hygiene. You can brush your retainer gently using a toothbrush and lukewarm water, avoiding abrasive toothpaste. Alternatively, you can soak them in a retainer cleaning solution or water and mild dish soap. Fixed retainers can be cleaned using floss threaders or interdental brushes to reach between the wires.
While you may not need to wear your retainer full-time indefinitely, many orthodontists recommend wearing a retainer in some capacity for an extended period. Over time, your orthodontist may advise you to gradually reduce how often you wear it. However, it’s important to wear your retainer as instructed to maintain the alignment of your teeth and ensure the long-term stability of your orthodontic results.
Yes. If your orthodontic retainer is lost or damaged, you can contact your orthodontist for a replacement. Reach out to your orthodontist as soon as possible to avoid any unwanted shifting or movement of your teeth. They’ll assist you in getting a new retainer to maintain the results of your orthodontic treatment.
Maintain Your New Smile — Contact Dr. Kurth
Orthodontic retainers are essential for achieving and maintaining a beautiful, straight smile. Jacklyn Kurth Orthodontics in Foster City and Belmont, CA, offers a range of high-quality orthodontic retainers to meet your specific needs. Dr. Kurth and Dr. Chew’s years of experience and high-quality orthodontic retention technology can help keep your smile looking perfect for years to come.
Contact our office today at (650) 525-9440 for the Foster City office and (650) 592-4850 for the Belmont office. We look forward to meeting patients from in and around the Bay Area.