Retainers. Love them or hate them, they serve an important purpose. Yes, they keep your teeth aligned, that we all know. But did you know there are a multitude of other reasons you should continue to wear that retainer, even when you don’t really want to?
It Protects Your Teeth
Retainers don’t protect teeth quite like a mouth guard would, but once your orthodontist has gotten your teeth into proper alignment, moving just one tooth a millimeter out of alignment can cause a domino effect that could throw your bite out of whack and cause your teeth to grind unintentionally. This can cause your teeth to crack, chip or break, not to mention the pain and soreness associated with grinding itself. It can also cause uneven wear, which means your teeth may appear misshapen.
It Makes Cleaning Your Teeth Easier
Once your teeth are at their desired position, brushing and flossing should be easy. That’s because when your teeth are properly aligned, there should be even spacing for both of these important oral health tasks to be done properly. Unfortunately, however, when your teeth move, some of that even spacing gets taken away, making it harder to reach between teeth or to get all the surfaces clean.
It Can Be Costly to Fix
You or someone who loves you (thanks, mom and dad!) have already paid to have your teeth straightened. For many adults whose insurance covers orthodontic work, there’s a lifetime out-of-pocket max that may have already been met the first time you had braces or got your retainer. This means you may no longer be covered for more – and you may end up having to pay out of pocket if you need a second set of braces to correct any movement that happened by not wearing your retainer. Ouch.
Retainer not fitting quite right? Don’t let it go too far. Give Dr. Abelar’s office a call at (858) 866-9692.
