How Long Do You Need to Wear Retainers?
How long you’ll need to wear retainers is a question we get asked an awful lot. The truth is, for the overwhelming majority of people, you’ll need to wear your retainers as long as you want your teeth to stay straight. Only about 20% of people’s teeth will stay straight without retainers, and unfortunately, there is no way to tell who they are.
Shifting of your teeth is a natural part of the aging process, and studies have found that this growth and movement occurs well into old age. This means that even for people with perfectly straight teeth their teeth may shift a bit and become crooked as they get older. Usually, this presents as some crowding in your lower front teeth.
Even if you don’t need braces it is a good idea to ask an orthodontist for a retainer to hold your teeth in place. I made this mistake. Even though I never needed braces before, I never bothered to get a retainer from my Father and now I have a tiny bit of crowding. Wearing a retainer is like having an orthodontist in your pocket; make sure you take advantage of wearing yours.
Even if you don’t need braces it is a good idea to ask an orthodontist for a retainer to hold your teeth in place. I made this mistake. Even though I never needed braces before, I never bothered to get a retainer from my Father and now I have a tiny bit of crowding. Wearing a retainer is like having an orthodontist in your pocket; make sure you take advantage of wearing yours.