I believe a retainer should be worn for life. Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of funny tattoos stating “____ for life.” Here are a few from a quick Google search.
It’s made me wonder if anyone ever got one that says “Retainers for life.” Sadly, I couldn’t find one on the internet. Perhaps I should get one to emphasize one of the most important concepts when it comes to retainers: RETAINERS SHOULD BE WORN FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!
I know that isn’t what you want to hear, but there are decades of research within the orthodontic field suggesting that teeth WILL move after they are straightened. In the orthodontic world, we use one word to refer to that propensity to move after orthodontic treatment: relapse. I thought it would be a useful blog post to tell you what you need to know about orthodontic relapse.
First, and most importantly, relapse can be controlled with diligent retainer wear EVERY NIGHT for AS LONG AS YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR TEETH STRAIGHT! In a future blog post, I’ll cover different types of retainers and their advantages/disadvantages, but retainers are the best way to fight relapse.
Second, relapse is unpredictable. Often, teeth want to move back to where they started, but this is not always the case. Why take a chance? Wear the it every night for as long as you want to keep your teeth straight!
Third, relapse can happen throughout a lifetime. The tendency for teeth to want to move is greatest in the months just after orthodontic treatment, but relapse can still occur decades later, as there many factors involved in the movement of teeth.
Speaking of reasons why relapse occurs, wisdom teeth are not the primary culprit. There is good evidence that people who are born without wisdom teeth still experience similar rates of relapse as others who have wisdom teeth. I know your cousin/aunt/neighbor/dogsitter’s baby-mama/whoever says their teeth shifted because of their wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth may be a factor, but, more likely, they didn’t wear it every night.
Relapse is typically greater in lower teeth than upper teeth. Many researchers have postulated reasons why this may be true, but, the truth is, we really don’t know why.
Finally, did I mention that wearing it is the best way to keep teeth in their good positions? I know that “wear your retainer for the rest of your life” is not what you wanted to hear, but it is the best way to prevent the movement of teeth after orthodontic treatment. And, I practice what I preach: I’ve been wearing my retainers most nights for the last 20+ years! I’ll post a picture if/when I get that tattoo: “Retainers 4 Life!” If you are ready to schedule your complimentary consultation, we can’t wait to meet you.
