It’s been 2 years since I wore my retainer and my teeth have shifted-why don’t my retainers fit? Otherwise known as- “The dog ate my homework retainer.” (Why do they do that anyway??)
Old Dogs & New Tricks…
On a personal note, I am currently undergoing Invisalign treatment at the young age of 51 years old. Like many of our adult patients, I had orthodontic treatment as a young adult and was pleased with my result. However, perfect retainer wear slipped into occasional retainer wear. This led to placing all confidence in my bonded lingual retainers, or “permanent wire” retainers which are A. NOT the best option to hold all of the teeth and bite in alignment. (More on that later.) B. NOT “permanent” at all.
Eventually, a penchant for popcorn and daily apple consumption led to my bonded retainers becoming unglued. Adherence to the same dietary and dental precautions required during active treatment are necessary for the lifetime of bonded retainers. Most of us, or maybe me in particular, were a little fatigued and/or lazy in our precautions. This inevitably leads to additional and costly repair or replacement visits at the most inopportune times. Away on vacation? Retainer breaks. Giving an important presentation at work? Broken retainer is poking a hole your tongue…you get the idea!
Calling your orthodontist, in hopes that they can magically fix your retainer over the phone. Only to be told that you need to schedule an in-person appointment is disappointing. Maybe it’s been too long since your last visit or you’ve gone without a retainer for too long. A “little bit” of shifting of your teeth, will almost guarantee that a replacement retainer, will most definitely not fit. A new scan would be required. GAH!!! We understand your frustration–believe us when we say we wish we didn’t have to convey that news.
Anyway, I digress. While my teeth looked relatively straight, one morning I woke up with jaw pain and locking. I noted that my bite had shifted slightly, and I was hitting heavily on the premolar teeth on one side. I was not touching at all on my molar teeth. THANKFULLY I know a gal who can help me and I consulted with Dr. Horton about my bite that day. I had a digital scan, x-rays and photos taken. Upon evaluation, Dr. H recommended Invisalign to align and correct my bite and the minimal shifting. Was I thrilled to be back in treatment at my age? Not particularly. However, I was especially not fond of my bite and did not want the jaw pain and locking to worsen.
Retainers-(Wo)man’s Best Friend
The moral of the story? Retainers are important. Q: “How long will I need to wear my retainer?” A: “Only for as long as you would like to keep your teeth straight”. As we age, our teeth will continue to shift and drift. It is remarkable how little time it takes for them to shift considerably or seemingly overnight. Many of our patients ask for bonded retainers, thinking that this will solve the problem. However, because they are only affixed to the front “Social 6” teeth. They do not securely maintain the bite or hold ALL of the teeth.
Too often we see patients who’ve had loose or bent bonded retainers that resulted in adverse shifting of the teeth. Or bites that were no longer in alignment because they weren’t wearing retainers that would prevent those changes. Bonded retainers are designed to be used in certain specific dental situations. For patients with spaces between the teeth or diastemas they add a layer of support to traditional clear retainers.
If you’ve noted that your teeth have shifted and you’ve been putting off having Dr. Horton examine them. Hesitate no longer. With fully-customized aligners and clear, ceramic braces as treatment options, your treatment can be barely noticeable. If you’re thinking, “Gee I will be 52, or 62 or 82 years old before I finish treatment!”. The reality is that we will hit those milestones one way or the other, if we’re lucky. We may as well have straight teeth (or straight teeth again!) when we get there. Don’t put it off for “just the right moment”. Too often that simply means that there will be more to correct as things deteriorate further. Contact us for an appointment!
Trouble Never Looked So Cute
So why do our fur-babies eat our retainers? Simply because they love us so much! After wearing and removing retainers, don’t leave them where they are unattended or accessible to counter-cruisers. Fido’s keen sense of smell will lead him right to the best chew toy ever!!! This one smells and tastes JUST LIKE MOM or DAD!!!–can you say Doggy Heaven?! Please remember to secure and store your retainers correctly in a case, well out of reach of pets.
Would you leave $200 in cash laying around for the dog/cat to play with? Loose on a lunch tray? Dropped haphazardly into your purse or backpack? If the answer is NO!!!!–then you’ll want to remember that when removing your retainer. They are expensive to replace and taking time out of our lives to do so is often inconvenient. However, we must if want to continue to SMILE ON! with confidence. Enjoy the Dog Days of Summer! Team Horton Orthodontics