Retainers are oral devices that you wear once you’ve completed treatments of aligners or braces. They are required so your teeth don’t shift back after being professionally moved by your dentist. If you don’t wear a retainer, your teeth will shift, it’s just a matter of when. So what happens when they’ve shifted? Can Invisalign retainers move teeth back?
Invisalign is a brand of aligners. Just like Coca-Cola is a brand of soda. The brand of Invisalign has become so synonymous with aligners, that people just refer to aligners as Invisalign. You do receive retainers at the end of your treatment, but can Invisalign retainers move teeth back into place once they’ve begun to shift?
Aligners and braces shift your teeth into the perfect position. They will give you a dazzling smile that you can be confident with. It will cost some money, but many people feel that the treatment is worth it to achieve that perfect smile. You’ll be crafted a set of retainers to keep your teeth in place after you’ve completed braces or aligners. It’s crucial to wear your retainer as they protect your teeth from shifting. If you don’t micro movements will start to form and if left unprotected, your teeth will shift back to their original position using elastic memory.
Elastic memory is the natural ability of your teeth to always want to move back to their starting position. A retainer stops your teeth from moving and keeps them in place, but can Invisalign retainers move teeth back? The answer is complicated.
Invisalign retainers can move teeth back but just slightly. If your teeth have tiny micro-movements, your retainer might be able to shift your teeth back. You’ll be able to tell how far your teeth have shifted based on how tight your retainer is. If your retainer hurts to wear or if it is hard to put on, immediately stop and consult your dentist on how to shift your teeth back. This means your teeth have shifted too far to use an Invisalign retainer to shift them back. If you try, you might end up permanently damaging your teeth which will require expensive surgery to correct.
The best way to shift teeth back is to return to aligners. Your dentist can come up with a plan on how to get your teeth back into the perfect position. It might mean a few months of Invisalign aligners and that could be another big bill. You can avoid all of this by continuing to wear your retainers every night. If you’ve lost or broken your retainers, it’s a great idea to have a backup set on hand.
SportingSmiles can craft you a set of replacement retainers or a backup set to have on hand. Having been in business since 2009 crafting retainers, night guards, whitening trays, and sports mouth guards, the No. 1 online dental product provider has served over one million people worldwide. By ordering the patented impression kit, you’ll take easy-at-home impressions and then ship them back to SportingSmiles with free shipping before receiving your replacement set.
Can Invisalign retainers move teeth back? They can shift micromovements but if it hurts to wear or doesn’t fit immediately remove it and consult your dentist on a solution. If you need a new set of retainers, SportingSmiles can help with affordable options.
