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If you are looking to have your braces removed soon, you need to start thinking about getting a retainer. Your braces may have moved your teeth into a better position, but if you want your teeth to stay in that position for the rest of your life, you need to use a retainer. A retainer will help ensure that your teeth don't move back into their old position over time.

Your Retain Is the Final Stage of Your Orthodontic Treatment

Many people wrongly assume that getting one's braces off is the end of their orthodontic treatment. In fact, wearing a retainer is actually the last stage of your orthodontic treatments. The stage of wearing a retainer can last longer than the amount of time that you wore your braces.

The truth is that your teeth have a long memory, and they will try to move back to where they were before you had your braces on. Wearing your retainer will help keep your teeth in place.

You Will Need to Wear a Retainer for a Long Time

When you first get your braces removed, you will need to wear your retainer pretty much all day. Over time, as your teeth stop trying to move so much, your orthodontist will cut down on the amount of time that you wear your braces. Ideally, eventually you will only need to wear your retainer at night in order to keep your braces in place.

The retainer-wearing stage is a long stage. You will need to continue to work with your orthodontist to monitor your teeth and make sure they are not moving. Your orthodontist will use these monitoring sessions to determine how long you need to wear your retainer.

It is not uncommon for you to need to continue to wear a retainer at night years after getting your braces off. A retainer is a simple way to keep your teeth looking great over a long period of time.

You Will Need to Choose the Type of Retainer You Want

Finally, you will need to choose the type of retainer you want to wear. A permanent retainer is in your mouth at all times. You will have to carefully clean around it. Permanent retainers are usually used right after you got your braces removed.

As you transition to needing to wear a retainer less, it is common to use a removable retainer. With a removable retainer, you can put the retainer inside of a case during the day when you are not using the retainer.

If you are getting your braces off soon, that means you are getting ready to move to the retainer part of fixing your teeth. Wearing a retainer is just as important as your braces were to keeping your teeth looking great.

For more information, contact a resource like David W Hyten DMD.