Retention
Expert Orthodontic Treatment in Weatherford & Granbury, TX
Once we finally take your braces off, we bet you'll be pretty excited - in fact, you'll probably be jumping off the walls. But hold on one second there: at Epic Orthodontics, we want to help you achieve a healthy new smile for life, not just for a few months! That means that your treatment doesn't end after you get your braces off, as braces account for only the active stage of orthodontic treatment. After we finish active treatment, we enter the retention phase: one of the most important parts of treatment for ensuring your new smile lasts a lifetime.
The Importance of Retention
When you get your braces off, you'll have the joy of seeing a beautiful, straight new smile - but while your teeth are in new positions, the underlying bones, ligaments, and tendons that support them have yet to adapt to those new positions. If left alone, the structures supporting the teeth would actually pull them back to their old positions, erasing your hard work!
Types of Retainers
Every patient is different, and we're proud to offer a variety of options for retention treatment:
Hawley Retainers
These are the most common type of retainer, and they're what most people think of when they think of a retainer. Hawley retainers are made from a thin piece of acrylic that's custom-shaped to fit your mouth and a metal wire that runs around your teeth, keeping them in position. We can even customize the acrylic of your Hawley with special colors or patterns, giving you your own unique retainer!
Fixed Retainers
Fixed, or bonded, retainers are an ideal option for patients whose teeth are at a high risk of moving back to old positions. As the name implies, fixed retainers are "fixed" into the mouth with dental cement - so they can't be taken in and out without a trip to our office. That said, fixed retainers are simply composed of a simple wire attached to the inside (tongue side) of the bottom front teeth, making them completely invisible from the outside. If you wear a fixed retainer, it's important to clean both the wire and the lower teeth using a floss threader during daily oral hygiene.
Essix Retainer
Essix retainers look very similar to Invisalign aligners, and they're made of a transparent plastic material that fits directly onto the dental arch. They're virtually invisible when worn and easy to wear, making them a favorite for many patients.
Contact Your Granbury & Weatherford, TX Orthodontist
With conscientious care and diligent use, your retainer will help you protect your new smile and safeguard it for years to come. If you have any more questions on retention, braces, or want to start orthodontic treatment for yourself, we're always here to help. Feel free to call us at (817) 573-4746 for our Granbury office or (817) 599-9429 for our Weatherford office, reach out to us at our contact page, or use our easy online form to schedule an appointment at either of our offices!