Over 14 million people around the world each year use clear aligners or braces to shift their teeth into a perfect position. There are many benefits to having a perfect smile including confidence. Once your orthodontic treatments are complete, your dentist will suggest a few options for you to keep your teeth in position. Two options include a permanent retainer and removable retainers, but which one is best for you? Let’s examine the two types of retainers.
A permanent retainer is metal bars that are cemented onto the back of your teeth. They are most common on the lower row of teeth. Dentists will typically push for a permanent retainer on patients who they don’t believe will responsibility wear a removable retainer. To receive a permanent retainer, the patient will need to come to a dental office, make an appointment, pay hundreds of dollars, and sit through an uncomfortable experience of having your teeth cemented with a metal wire.
You’ll be able to eat with a cemented bar, but be aware that it’s a magnet for food particles. Flossing your teeth is near impossible and you’ll need an orthodontic metal pick to properly remove food from in between the permanent retainer and teeth. While this retainer makes it so you won’t have to remember to wear your removable retainer, it also attracts plenty of plaque behind your teeth. Brushing your teeth will take a little longer as you’ll need to scrub the backs of your teeth around the metal frame to remove as much plaque as possible. After brushing, there will still be plaque buildup behind the bar which you’ll need an orthodontic pick to remove.
A Permanent retainer are typically worn for the rest of your life or unless you ask your dentist to remove them. They are durable but after time can snap or the cement can erode. This will require an additional costly dental visit.
While a permanent retainer gives the convenience of not needing to remember to wear a removable retainer at night, they only hold together the first six or so front teeth. Removable retainers or clear retainers as they are also called, cover your entire smile both top and bottom. These are custom-fitted and will only fit your smile. With removable retainers, you’ll receive the same protection as you would with a permanent retainer, but without the constant need of cleaning food out of your teeth and between the bar.
Clear retainers will not last as long as a permanent retainer but companies like SportingSmiles offer huge discounts on reorders. If you want to keep your teeth straight in an absolute position and you already have a permanent retainer, your best bet is to get a clear retainer too. This gives you the best of both worlds with a stout defense with your first six teeth but complete coverage of your entire smile with the clear retainer. Back teeth can shift too, and without any protection, they surely will.
There’s no reason to be concerned if you have a cemented bar but want that added defense of a clear retainer. SportingSmiles can accommodate your cemented bar in the retainer and craft a clear retainer to pair with your permanent. You’ve worked hard at getting a perfect smile, make sure it stays that with when you pair a permanent retainer with a clear one.
