Having crooked teeth straightened or an overbite corrected can be done by the dentist in a few sessions. But all the good work will be wasted unless a retainer is worn following these procedures. Without a retainer in place the teeth will shift position and render any work done by the dentist useless.
How long the retainer must be worn will depend upon what sort of dental work was carried out. It’s also based on the amount of shift required to make the teeth align properly.
In most cases this will be a minimum period of one year but the process may take several years to complete satisfactorily. There are also different sorts of retainers and which one is used will also affect the amount of time they must be worn.
- Permanent retainers remain on the teeth 24/7
- Night time retainers used during sleep
- Removable retainers which can be removed or worn as required
Wearing dental retainers is not always pleasurable as they can be awkward to get used to and some wearers find them embarrassing. However, many adults have had to undergo further dental treatment as a result of not wearing their dentures and it is far easier to treat problem teeth at an early stage before further damage can be done.
Read more about dental retainers at https://yourdentalhealthresource.com/do-i-really-need-to-wear-my-retainer-forever-and-why/