Retainer (orthodontic device)
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Orthodontic retainers are often used after braces have been removed to hold teeth in their new position while surrounding gums and bone adjusts to this new position. Often a person will need to wear them only at night. The length of time one must wear a retainer varies, but an average teenager will usually be advised to wear it into their early 20s, or even longer under special circumstances.
The most common type is the Hawley retainer, which is made of a metal wire that surrounds the teeth and keeps them in place. It is anchored in a specially-molded, sometimes brightly colored acrylic form that sits in the palate or floor of the mouth. Top and bottom retainers are usually made as necessary.
Another type is the Essix retainer. This clear or transparent retainer fits over the entire arch of teeth and can also be produced from a mold. It is similar in appearance to Invisalign trays. Essix retainers, if worn 24 hours per day, do not allow the upper and lower teeth to touch because plastic covers the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Some orthodontists feel that it is important for the top and bottom chewing surfaces to meet to allow for "favorable settling" to occur. Essix retainers are less expensive, more aesthetic and easier to wear than Hawley retainers.
Most removeable retainers come with a retainer case to protect them. During the first few days of retainer use, many people will have extra saliva in their mouth. This is natural and is due to the presence of a new object inside the mouth and consequent stimulation of the saliva glands. It may be difficult to speak for a while after getting a retainer, but this speech difficulty should go away over time as one gets used to wearing it.
An entirely different category of orthodontic retainers, by definition not removeable, are fixed retainers. A fixed retainer typically consists of a passive wire bonded to the tongue-side of the lower incisors, but other teeth are occasionally treated in similar fashion. Some doctors prescribe fixed retainers regularly, especially where active orthodontic treatment effected great changes in the bite and there is a high risk for reversal of these changes.
