Maintaining Straight Teeth After Orthodontic Treatment
Maintaining straight teeth: Even after a successful orthodontic treatment, some situations can lead to your teeth shifting again and erase the results of your treatment. Indeed, orthodontic treatments do not prevent the development of new oral problems.
Fortunately, Dr Normand Bach is there to give you all the advice you need to keep your new smile.
Is Orthodontic Treatment Permanent?
Orthodontic treatment is designed to realign your teeth and give you back your smile, but a new situation that occurs after completion of treatment can create a new misalignment.
There are various causes that can lead to a new misalignment, even after a completed treatment, like:
- Eruption of wisdom teeth
- Tooth loss
- Teeth grinding or clenching, etc.
There are also several oral diseases, like periodontitis, that can also lead to your teeth shifting.
Of course, it is possible that a situation out of your control can cause a new misalignment, but to minimize the risks, it is important to follow your orthodontist’s recommendations.
Maintaining Straight Teeth: The Importance of Having a Retainer
When your orthodontic treatment ends, it is important to ensure and stabilize the position of your teeth to prevent them from returning to their initial positions.
The mouth is an active environment where several forces are exerted in different directions every day. Some habits and circumstances, like teeth grinding and teeth clenching, as previously mentioned, can have an impact on your teeth alignment.
For all these reasons, it is important to carefully follow the retention procedure prescribed by your orthodontist at the end of your treatment. There are several retention procedures, depending on your needs and the scale of the treatment that you completed. A professional will recommend the most appropriate procedure for your dental needs.
Generally, retention is a procedure that requires you to wear a retainer for a period between 6 months to 2 years, but certain situations need a permanent solution to maintain the new teeth alignment.
Regardless of the retention procedure recommended by your orthodontist, it is important to follow the instructions you received, if you want to ensure that your teeth remain straight in the long run, after your orthodontic treatment.
Never Neglect Your Oral Health
Regardless of your situation, there is no good reason not to maintain good oral hygiene.
As mentioned above, there are several oral diseases that can lead to teeth shifting and ruin the results of your orthodontic treatment.
Of course, these diseases can affect anyone, even those who have never received a treatment. That is one of the reasons why it is important to maintain good oral hygiene habits, no matter your situation.
Here are some good habits you should have to maintain your oral health:
- Brushing your teeth 30 minutes after eating
- Flossing at least once a day
- Not forgetting to brush your teeth before going to bed
Obviously, following an orthodontic treatment, it is also important to follow any advice or instruction that was given to you by your health professional to maintain your new smile.
When It Comes to Your Oral Health, Stay Proactive
Even if you follow your retention plan to the letter and you are very careful with your oral hygiene, it is possible that complications occur all the same, and that your teeth shift.
Unfortunately, it is sometimes impossible to prevent some oral diseases or other external circumstances that lead to dental problems.
As soon as you notice a problem, do not wait until the problem gets worse: Do not hesitate to contact your oral health professional as quickly as possible. In case your teeth are shifting after an orthodontic treatment, no one can help you better than your orthodontist.
A failure with your retainer, or any other problem with your oral health can lead to serious consequences both for your teeth alignment and your general health. Your orthodontist can help determine the cause of the problem and offer an adequate solution.
Dr Normand Bach is an experienced orthodontist in Montreal. Thanks to his expertise, he can answer all your questions and help you find (and keep) your smile. Make an appointment now!
