Did you know that based on a recent survey over 48% of people notice a smile as the first feature on a person? That’s why over 8 million people in the United States are currently wearing braces or invisible aligners to straighten their teeth. Once a smile is perfect, these users will need to wear a retainer to keep their teeth in the correct position. Sometimes, even with a retainer, their teeth begin to move back to their natural position. Why is this and what can you do to ensure that your retainer is working effectively?
Improper Retainer Usage:
Your teeth may be moving even when using a retainer because of improper usage. We understand that wearing a retainer isn’t always convenient. At the beginning of your relationship with your retainer, you may forget to put it in before bed or when you are on the go. While this may seem like it’s not a big deal, the missed protection can immediately affect your teeth. Your teeth are most vulnerable to move immediately after your braces or Invisalign treatments are completed. If you skip a few sessions of not wearing your retainer or miss a few nights each week, your teeth may start to shift back.
Wearing a retainer is a life-long commitment. If you skip or forget to wear your retainer and then pop it back in after a few missed nights you might notice that your retainer is extra tight. This is a sign that your teeth are trying to shift back to their natural position. If your retainer doesn’t fit anymore, that’s a huge red flag that your teeth have begun shifting. This typically is the cause of neglecting to wear your retainer for weeks. If you put your retainer back on it may not fit properly anymore and may not protect your teeth from shifting.
Getting into the routine of wearing a retainer at night is key to keeping your teeth from shifting. The more you wear your retainer the more effective it will be. Forgetting to wear your retainer and then putting it back on after weeks of missed protection increases the risk of your retainer becoming ineffective.
Your Teeth Have Shifted Already:
Waiting too long to receive a retainer is an issue that plagues people that have received orthodontic work. You may not think that you need a retainer or that it’s unnecessary but you’ll be mistaken if you have that approach. People who wait a few months to purchase a retainer are already doomed to see their teeth shift.
It’s imperative to order retainers as soon as your orthodontic work is complete. The sooner you get your retainers the better to preserve your perfect and expensive smile. If you wait months to purchase retainers your teeth will already have begun to shift back to their natural position. Your retainer will only prevent them from further shifting and any movement within the first few months is irreversible with a retainer. You’ll need to return to aligners or receive braces again, and who wants to go through that again? Your retainer will only prevent teeth from shifting, it won’t shift your teeth back into the position that you want. If you order a retainer after your teeth have already shifted, it will be useless.
You Have A Poor Quality Retainer:
Your teeth may be moving even with a retainer because of the poor quality. Choosing your retainer provider is an important decision as many factors go into the choice. There are a few mail-order retainer providers who claim to be experts or will sell you cheap retainers. Be sure to vet your retainer provider. Sporting Smiles guarantees satisfaction with your retainers as they are crafted with the latest technology and most advanced software available in the industry.
Since 2009, Sporting Smiles has provided over one million retainers to customers all across the United States and Canada. We employ expertly trained dental lab technicians who are certified and trained in various hand tools and equipment. When you order from Sporting Smiles you can rest assured that your retainers are being made from the highest-essix material available and created by experienced lab technicians with over a decade of expertise in the dental industry. All retainers go through a thorough quality check before being shipped out to their eager owners. Sporting Smiles combines affordable and premium quality material to give customers a highly-satisfied experience in which they repeat with every order.
When customers shop online for retainers, there will be several options and companies for them to choose from. If you receive a retainer from an under-qualified provider you may be getting a retainer that is cheaply made. With cheap material, your retainer can snap easily, or the material may melt or crack. If you use a cheap retainer, it may have micro-cracks that you are not aware of. These cracks prevent the retainer from doing its proper job which may result in your teeth shifting even if you wear a retainer.
Hand-crafting a retainer is an important job. If your provider cuts corners, your retainer may become uncomfortable or worse, useless. With the cut of the retainer too low or not properly trimmed, it might result in your retainer not working. Your retainer should be custom to your smile, and your smile alone. If you receive a retainer and it’s not properly molded or cut, it won’t prevent your teeth from shifting.
1 comment
I bought retainers from another company and they seemed really cheap. The plastic was all flimsy so I think my teeth were shifting even when I wore them. I’m happy with the retainers I got from Sporting Smiles. They are much firmer and a better fit.