Congratulations! Through the course of routine adjustment sessions with your LOL Dental & Orthodontics orthodontist, your teeth have been realigned to their ideal position. Even after your braces have been removed a retention phase will be needed to make sure your teeth will stay in their ideal alignment for a lifetime.

Even in the new alignment, there will still be some residual tension in the periodontal ligaments anchoring your teeth in the sockets in your gums. To counter this tension, you will need to use a retainer.

There are three different types of retainer options that your LOL Dental & Orthodontics orthodontist might recommend for you.

A Hawley-style retainer is the most common type of retainer recommends. It is essentially a thin, tongue-shaped piece of acrylic, custom fit to the shape of your mouth. The retainer is secured in your mouth by a set of wires that lock into specific teeth.

A clear plastic retainer might be called for if you only needed braces for a short period of time and only required minor realignment. The clear plastic material makes it hard for the casual observer to even notice you’re wearing a retainer.

If your braces were needed to provide a significant amount of adjustment, the orthodontist might recommend installing a fixed retainer. This is basically a durable wire retainer that is cemented in place behind your teeth.

If you are due to have braces removed soon and you have questions about what type of retainer you’ll need, you can call LOL Dental & Orthodontics’s clinic in Crockett, Texas at 936.463.0162 for a consultation.