Wearing braces often takes up a good portion of our time. Often, braces take a minimum of two years or more. This can feel like forever since there are certain limitations with braces. Once we get them off or our children get that off, it’s a reason to celebrate. Not only is there a new, straight, and beautiful smile but, those things are finally off. This means that it can be a bit of a let down when our teeth move after the braces are removed. Here are a few tips to understanding what could cause this and how to help it.
Teeth Will Slightly Adjust After Braces
Once braces are off, there will be some slight adjusting to your teeth. Usually, this is nothing major and you won’t notice it until you put your retainer on at night. This is normal since your teeth are no longer being forced into position. This is why a retainer is given after braces to wear at night. It ensures your slight adjustment won’t go too far and your teeth will stay close to the same as when your braces were just taken off. Other aspects such as wisdom teeth, aging, tooth trauma/loss, etc. can all be factors in your teeth adjusting after braces are removed. This is all normal so don’t be alarmed.
When to be Alarmed
If you are noticing significant changes to your teeth after braces, you will want to call or setup an appointment with your orthodontist right away. The biggest issue is often seen with people not wearing their retainer after the braces are removed. If this responsibility is ignored, it could lead to more braces, clear aligners, etc. So, it’s important to not skip the retainer aspect after the braces are removed. However, sometimes, the retainer itself may need to be adjusted. That’s why, if you’re seeing major changes to your teeth and relapsing is occurring, don’t hesitate to setup an appointment. Adjustments can be made to retainers if that’s the issue. If it’s not the retainer, there may be other problems that might be occurring. With an appointment, your orthodontist should be able to tell what’s causing the relapse and advise you on what needs to happen for it to be fixed.
Don’t Wait
If you wait too long after noticing changes with your teeth after braces are removed, this could be detrimental. If you wait too long, braces may have to be started all over again or clear aligners will need to be utilized to fix the relapse. Braces aren’t cheap so, it’s always helpful to your orthodontist to let them know what changes you’re noticing. They often can put your mind at ease or help stop the negative progress before it gets too far. Never hesitate to call your orthodontist and ask questions or voice concerns, that’s what they’re there for.
