Your child has finished their orthodontic treatment. The braces have come off or there are no more Invisalign trays to use. While they might love the results, more than 96% of people who use these trays are satisfied with what they see, According to Invisalign. What are the next steps? Here’s what your child can do to ensure that they keep the same smile.

Wear a Retainer

After all that work of wearing braces or Invisalign and going to the orthodontist to get them tightened or receive the next set of trays, you want to maintain those results. One way to do that is to wear a retainer. Your child can wear it at night when sleeping. Otherwise, they risk their teeth shifting again.

How could that happen? After any orthodontic treatment, the actual teeth aren’t shifting. Rather, something called periodontal ligaments is doing the shifting. Once everything is finished, those ligaments need to get used to their new position. The retainer will keep them in that place. Not wearing one will undo all the work that the braces or Invisalign did.

Types of Retainers

There are several types of retainers. The first is the most familiar one, known as the Hawley retainer. It’s a piece of plastic molded to the roof of the mouth and has wires to keep the teeth in place. There are also clear plastic ones that resemble Invisalign trays. Finally, there are fixed ones that usually go on the bottom teeth.

Take Care of the Teeth

While your child might now be able to eat the things that they couldn’t when they were wearing braces, they should still be careful. Help them avoid eating certain hard foods since they could damage those newly straightened teeth, especially while wearing a retainer. Be sure that they brush twice a day and floss at least once. Visit the dentist twice a year so that they can avoid having gum disease or cavities, both of which could cause problems.

You invested in your child’s teeth. Now is the time to protect that investment. By doing the above things, you’re going to ensure that your child has a great smile for a very long time.

Is your child in need of orthodontic treatment? We can provide it, whether it’s braces (clear or metal) or Invisalign. Contact us at Bret Johnson Orthodontics today to learn how we can help your child get straight teeth.