Things to Know about Dental Braces
(Part 5)
We now move to the concluding part of our discussion on braces. Here we wind up our topic by discussing what retainers are and the bottom line about braces.
So, what are retainers?
As its name says, a retainer is a non-brace method of retaining a certain bite shape, which may be a less severe case to warrant the use of a brace.
A retainer is an orthodontic device. It is considered the lighter version of braces. Retainers help maintain the shape of your teeth that the braces have already straightened out.
Retainers have a thin wire, which is worn across the back of the lower or upper front teeth.
A retainer is a brilliant method of keeping your teeth‘s shape from going back to its malformation.
People should wear a retainer when they are able to reach the desired shape of the teeth or mouth, after wearing braces.
After braces removal, the retainers serve as a method of helping to maintain the shape and to prevent the teeth from returning back to their original bad shape or bad positions.
Wearing the retainers in a long period of time, may help maintain teeth straight or until the orthodontist tells you to stop wearing your retainers.
There are two basic types of retainers. The first is called the fixed retainer. It has a thin wire which is supposed to be worn on the front of one’s teeth from one’s upper or lower jaw. It is set into place with the use of dental cement. This is the same cement used to put braces brackets in a patient’s mouth.
Once the retainer is fixed with the teeth, there is a need to adjust how one uses the floss or the brush for the teeth. It is best to use a floss threaded to clean the teeth out.
Removable retainers are using the same thin wire that is supposed to be worn but not cemented or bonded. This is the reason why this type is removable.
It affords the patient no significant change in the way one brushes or flosses the teeth.
Removable retainers are held into place with the use of clasps or hooks and some acrylic material which can be inserted in and around the back teeth and hold the whole device into place. There is a need to regularly wash the retainer itself.
Now, we are in the conclusion of our topic.
Braces are the solution that you can depend on when it comes to improving your teeth’s bite. It will help dental hygiene and oral health maintenance easier to deal with.
As such, braces can help people in gaining, regaining, or maintaining good dental health.