Your Invisalign treatments are completed! Congratulations, you now have a perfect smile that you’ll be proud to show off in photos, selfies, and family celebrations. While you’ve finished your aligner treatments that have shifted your teeth into the perfect position, you’ve also entered a lifelong responsibility to wear a retainer at night. Should you wear an Invisalign fixed retainer or can you wear a removable retainer?
The choice is up to you (and your dentist) on whether you wear an Invisalign fixed retainer or have a premium removable retainer made. There are pros and cons to each, and we’re here to discuss them. Let’s first look at the fixed retainer and the options that come with it.
An Invisalign fixed retainer is a retainer that is “fixed” onto your teeth. Dentists typically do this to younger patients who are still teenagers as it makes the responsibility to wear a retainer an afterthought. The fixed retainer will take the routine out of wearing a retainer, as it will always be on your teeth.
Your dentist will cement the wire on the back of your teeth. This will prevent your teeth from shifting back to their natural position but it can cause a few issues. Food particles will get stuck between the wire and your teeth. Almost every meal, you’ll be picking food from the wire or flossing directly afterward. The wire is a magnet for food particles, and you won’t be able to remove the wire while you eat.
If your Invisalign fixed retainer breaks, which is very hard to do, it can be crucial to get it fixed immediately as a loose piece of wire hanging in the back of your mouth can cause major issues including poking into your gums. Your dentist is the only one who can repair the fixed retainer, and you’ll need to schedule an emergency appointment. That will be a costly visit but it’s important to get the fixed retainer repaired.
The other option that you’ll have to keep your teeth in place is a removable retainer. This is a clear plastic retainer that is worn at night while you sleep. Your dentist can craft you one of these but it can be costly and expensive. Some dentists will charge between $250 and $950 for a set of retainers.
When you have removable retainers instead of an Invisalign fixed retainer, you will need to remember to put them in each night. If you forget, your teeth can start to shift back if you don’t wear them for a week or more. The good news is that you can take them out whenever you wish, which means that you can eat food without having to worry about the food particles getting stuck in a retainer.
While your dentist can craft you a set of retainers, so can SportingSmiles. Having been in business since 2009, SportingSmiles has been crafting retainers for over one million people worldwide. This process is done 100 percent online.
Instead of getting an Invisalign fixed retainer, you can get a set of premium retainers from SportingSmiles that prevents your teeth from shifting. You’ll receive the patented impression kit and take easy-at-home impressions before shipping them back to the SportingSmiles dental lab with free shipping. Our team will craft you premium retainers at half the cost of the dentist.
Retainers from SportingSmiles start at $90 and these are the exact same ones you’d receive from the dentist in terms of quality. The process is done all from the comfort of your home. If you want an Invisalign fixed retainer, you can inquire about it with your dentist, but if you’d like to get premium removable retainers, you can order them from SportingSmiles and keep your teeth from shifting.
