Now that your braces have fully corrected the alignment of your teeth, Dr. John Fleming can remove them from your mouth. However, this is not the end of the process. Each of your adjustment sessions applied a small amount of tension to your teeth.
There will still be some latent tension in the periodontal ligaments that anchor your teeth in their socket. If it’s not mitigated in some way it could gradually cause your teeth to drift out of their ideal position.
The easiest method to prevent this from happening is for Dr. John Fleming to fit you for a retainer. This can be done immediately after your braces have been removed.
You can expect your mouth to produce a little extra saliva at first. This natural response and your mouth should adapt to the retainer’s presence in a few days.
Wearing your retainer during the prescribed times will help your teeth maintain their ideal alignment. The specific times you need to wear the retainer might change depending on the how quickly the tension dissipates.
Failing to use the retainer consistently could increase the time it takes for the tension to fade. You should expect that you’ll need to use a retainer for about the same amount of time it took for braces to completely realign your teeth.
If you are due to have your braces removed at Dr. John Fleming’s Johns Creek, Georgia orthodontic clinic and you have a question about retainers, you can always call 770-609-3270 to speak to a staff member of Quality Orthodontic Care.