If you’ve had to wear braces, you’ve probably had to wear a retainer too. While it can be tempting to stop wearing it every night after a while, it’s essential to follow the advice of your orthodontist and wear it exactly as they’ve instructed you to.

Braces correct the alignment problem in your smile, but retainers make sure they don’t drift back into their previous positions. Not wearing your retainer according to the dentist’s schedule can undo all the work you put into fixing your smile.

Although all patients should heed the recommendations of their orthodontist when it comes to retainer use, it’s especially important for those who have worn adult braces. That’s because adult teeth are more likely to naturally shift position over time. Thus, they need additional support in order to stay in place. 

On the other hand, if you’re a parent with a child who has been equipped with a retainer after wearing braces, monitor them to ensure they’re wearing it regularly. Sometimes, young patients dismiss the importance of their retainers, or they simply get careless and forget to use them on a regular basis. As the adult in the household, you need to be responsible about this issue.

If you lose your retainer, schedule an appointment with an orthodontics specialist right away to ask about replacing it. Ignoring this issue for too long can result in your teeth shifting out of position, forcing you to do more work correcting your smile once again.

It may be easy to act like wearing your retainer isn’t necessary all the time, but not wearing it can have legitimate consequences. If you need braces in the Fairfield and Oxford, OH, areas, get in touch with Lamont Jacobs Orthodontics. They’ll make sure you get the quality care you need. Contact them online or call (513) 823-3143 for more information on the practice and their dental services.