It is not uncommon for patients to come to my clinic and complain to me: "Doc, my teeth were so straight in my younger days, but now that I'm in my 40s and my teeth is getting more and more crooked!"
Our mouth is a very dynamic environment and our teeth are subjected to forces and pressure from the tongue and cheek all the time during both function (talking, swallowing, even breathing!) and at rest (the size of your tongue and how thick our cheek muscles have an impact on teeth position). As our teeth are subjected to these forces all the time, they will move gradually with time. It is also noted that some minor jaw growth throughout life can also result in some lower incisor crowding with time.
Teeth will move even more during the first 2 years after orthodontic treatment, as the gum and bone structure supporting the teeth in the new position requires time to reorganise itself into the new position. Therefore retainers are particularly important during the first years after completion of braces treatment. However, even after 2 years, the dynamic forces of the cheek and tongue as mentioned earlier will still cause the teeth to move slightly.
Therefore, wearing of retainers will help to prevent teeth from moving out of position. We generally advise our patients to wear their retainer full time during the first 6 months after braces removal and continue with nighttime wear thereafter. The frequency of retainer can be reduced with time but you do need to continue to wear the retainers to help to prevent future movement.
On top of that, ensuring the teeth and supporting structure such as the gum and bone is in good condition is also important, compromise in the supporting structure will cause teeth to shift more easily. Patients are recommended to have professional scaling and polishing twice a year for dental maintenance to prevent more serious dental problems.
If you are unable to wear a removable retainer after braces treatment, you should discuss with your orthodontist on the feasibility of the placement of a fixed retainer to help to prevent relapse of teeth alignment.
