You’ve done it – you’ve successfully undergone years of wearing uncomfortable braces in your mouth every single day of the last year – it was a challenge that you managed to endure and now it’s finally over. However, the good news can quickly disappear when your dentist informs you that you have to wear a retainer. But the bad news does not stop here – you might have to wear it for the rest of your life. However, this shouldn’t discourage or depress you. Instead, keep on reading to find out why you should reconsider your standpoint and consider the retainer something essential and highly beneficial.

After The Braces Are Removed

Your dentist might have you wear your retainer for the single purpose of keeping the overall integrity of your teeth and not ruining all that hard work of wearing braces. Your mouth is, unfortunately for you, going to need time to adjust to the particularly new positions of the teeth in it. Without using a retainer, your gums, ligaments as well as bones are quickly going to return to their original position and all of that bothersome and hard work is going to go to waste quicker than you thought.

The good news about all that is that you wouldn’t have to wear your retainer for the entire day. For the initial months – from three to six, after you get your braces taken away, you are going to need to wear it for between 12 and 22 hours every day. However, you can get it removed in order to eat, to drink or to properly clean your teeth – something that a lot of people find relieving. The fact that you do not have to wear it all the time is important. You get more flexibility but the teeth are able to retain the

Only When Asleep

If you manage to follow this treatment plan properly and closely, you would soon have to wear your retainer only during sleep time. Keep going and you would only have to wear them for three to five days every week. If that seems like a lot to you, just remember what the alternative is. Without the retainer, your teeth will quickly get back in their original position and you are likely to have to start wearing those braces once again. Not only that, you would also have to go through all the procedures again.

There are different types of retainers and you can check them out if you feel the necessity of exploring all of your options. The clear retainers are like the clear aligners and they could actually be more discreet. However, you can always schedule an appointment with your dentist and get a full consultation on which retainer type is the best for you and how you can make the most out of it. Keep this at bay and you wouldn’t have to worry about your teeth.