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| Always wear your retainer! |
Retainers are a fact of life for anyone that has recently
had their braces taken off. Regardless of the type of braces you chose, a
retainer would always be required as a way to help you keep your teeth
straight. In a basic sense, if you don’t wear a retainer, then your teeth will
begin to return to their unstraightened position. Nobody wants this to happen –
it would only result in a huge waste of time and money. Your braces Las Vegas orthodontist offers you tips on how to manage these awkward looking “things”.
Retainer Problems
Your Orthodontist May Not Tell You
Your orthodontist may or may not tell you these few things about
retainers, but honest information is good – and it’s something you can learn a
thing or two from.
Retainers are Fragile
You have to be careful with your retainer, otherwise you’ll
ruin it and be forced to obtain a new one, and let’s face it… nobody has time
for this if it could have been prevented in the first place. To give you an
idea on how fragile they can be: it’s possible to chip or break it while you
sleep.
So here’s what we recommend you do. Most people find
convenience in grabbing the nearest tissue and then placing their retainer on
that when they do not use it. While this does work, we strongly suggest
investing in a retainer case or a small Tupperware. These are usually very
inexpensive and work well at keeping your retainer free from damage when you
aren’t using it. You won’t believe how many times we’ve heard patients say they
damaged their retainer because they were careless.
Drooling is Normal
Just like it takes to time adjust to braces; it also takes
time to adjust to a retainer. Depending on your situation, your orthodontist
may recommend you wear your retainer all day and night for a few weeks. Or you
may only have to wear it at night.
Either way, one thing is for sure: you will drool. This typically happens at night when you’re
sleeping. Patients will wake up from a good night’s sleep only to find a puddle
of drool next to their mouth or smashed within the retainer. Don’t be alarmed,
this is common and usually dies down within a week.
Lisp Trouble
Braces may have caused you a lisp, and there’s always a
chance retainers will as well. Again, this is a normal phenomenon that
dissipates over time as you become comfortable with your retainer.
Our advice: practice talking with your retainer on. To
yourself, in front of a mirror, just talk. This will help you get comfortable
more quickly.
Follow our advice, and your life with retainers will not be a
hassle as it is for those unaware of potential problems that may arise.
If you are interested in learning more about braces and
retainers, then please visit our Patient Care section where we cover a variety of
different topics and questions.
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