Importance of Invisalign Retainer

Getting braces off or completing Invisalign treatment is exciting. Active orthodontic treatment requires a lot of checkups, scrupulous dental hygiene and occasional discomfort. While you might be ready to show off your new smile free of any appliances, you might be surprised to find out that there is another phase of treatment. Most patients will need to wear a retainer to keep their teeth in the new position. 

Our Orange County cosmetic dentist can explain how often and how long you will need to wear your retainer. During orthodontic treatment, your bone tissue remodels to make way for the roots of the teeth as they move. It takes time for new bone tissue to grow around the roots, and the retainer helps keep your teeth where they need to be while this happens. If you fail to wear your Invisalign retainer, your teeth could shift back to their original positions, a problem called orthodontic relapse. The risk of relapse is highest right after treatment but can continue for months until the position of your teeth has stabilized.

Invisalign retainer looks and feels much like your Invisalign aligners, but it will not put pressure on your teeth. It will simply hold them in their proper position. You might need to wear it all the time at first, but most people will be able to decrease their wear time to nighttime only or less frequently as time passes.