Should You Choose Permanent Dental Retainers? Benefits, Drawbacks, and What to Consider

Are permanent dental retainers right for you?

Getting your braces off is a huge achievement. After years of orthodontic treatment, you can finally say goodbye to brackets and wires (or Invisalign) and hello to a brand-new smile. 

While you deserve to celebrate, it’s important to know that your orthodontic journey isn’t over just yet. To keep your smile straight, you’ll need to wear a dental retainer. 

Why do I need to wear a dental retainer at all?

A dental retainer helps keep your teeth in their new position after your braces come off. It’s a necessary part of your treatment as the ligaments and tissue of our gums are quite pliable and can cause your teeth to move back out of alignment. A retainer helps stabilise your ligaments, preventing movement and keeping your smile straight.

Your orthodontist will either fit you with a removable or a permanent dental retainer. Removable retainers are made of plastic and are moulded to the shape of your teeth. These need to be worn at night as part of your ongoing treatment. Alternatively, they might fit you with a permanent retainer to keep your teeth in place.

What is a permanent dental retainer?

A permanent dental retainer is a metal wire bonded to the back of your teeth. This wire helps keep your teeth in a fixed position. Permanent retainers are common on the lower front teeth, because this area is susceptible to movement. Permanent retainers aren’t commonly applied behind the top teeth because your bite can cause the bonding to become loose. 

It’s worth noting that even with a bonded retainer you might also need to wear a removable retainer to stop your top teeth from moving. 

Your orthodontist may recommend a permanent retainer on your lower teeth if you:

• Had teeth extracted before you started orthodontics
• Had a gap between your front teeth which is now closed
• Lost a tooth before orthodontic treatment
• Had crowded teeth before orthodontic treatment
• Have teeth that are likely to migrate post orthodontic treatment
• Had a deep underbite before treatment

What’s the advantages of having a permanent dental retailer?

There are lots of advantages to a permanent retainer. 

• You don’t have to remember to wear it
• It’s inconspicuous and won't ruin your smile
• It won’t change the way you speak
• It’s hard to damage (when applied behind the bottom teeth)
• It does a great job of keeping your teeth aligned
• It can last for decades

How long do permanent dental retainers last?

When bonded correctly they can last for 20 or even 30 years. Permanent retainers are comfortable and mostly go unnoticed. If you’ve had your retainer for a while and find it comfortable there’s no real reason to get it removed.

Cleaning behind your retainer every time you brush. These retainers are quite hard to break but even so, avoiding very hard, brittle or sticky foods can also help. 

How do I clean behind my permanent dental retainer?

One of the downsides of a permanent retainer is that it can be a bit more difficult to clean. It’s important to clean the area between the wire and the back of your teeth. If you don’t plaque can easily build up here and between the teeth and eventually harden into tartar. This can increase your risk of developing gum disease.

Here’s how to clean behind your retainer:

• Brush behind your teeth down to the gumline. This is easier to do with an electric toothbrush. If you have a manual toothbrush, try brushing in a flicking motion starting at the gumline and angling up towards your mouth. 
• Use interdental brushes to get into the gaps behind your retainer. Interdental brushes are small with lots of firm, spiky bristles. If you use a manual toothbrush it’s a good idea to use an interdental brush to get in behind the wire of your retainer and clean between each tooth.
• Floss using Superfloss or water pick. Flossing is really important when you have a bonded retainer. Superfloss is a type of floss with stiffened ends. The hard ends make it easy to thread the floss through a gap in the front teeth and floss as you normally would behind and between the teeth. A water pick is also a good option for dislodging food and plaque from your mouth. 

Are permanent dental retainers safe?

Yes. The wire and the bonding agent are made of safe materials, but there is a risk of developing gum disease if you don’t floss or brush behind your retainer properly. 

If your retainer breaks or is bent, it may feel uncomfortable. If this happens you should see your orthodontist straight away.

If you need help looking after or fixing your retainer, book an appointment with Gentle Dental at one of our practices in Wellington, Lower Hutt or Upper Hutt.