What is Retention?
You’ve finished treatment and your braces are off, your aligners are done, and you’re finally looking at the smile you worked so hard for. But here’s something many people don’t realize: the journey doesn’t quite end there. That’s where retention comes in.
Retention is the phase that follows active orthodontic treatment, and according to Dr. Melita, it’s every bit as crucial as the treatment itself. Why? Because teeth are stubborn. Left to their own devices, they’ll naturally try to drift back toward where they started. It’s just how the body works and and without a plan in place, all that progress can slowly unravel.
To make sure that doesn’t happen, Dr. Melita will fit you with a custom retainer designed specifically for your mouth. Depending on what works best for you, that might be a removable retainer you wear at night, or a fixed one bonded discreetly behind your teeth. Either way, it’s doing an important job by holding everything in place while your bone, gums, and surrounding tissues gradually settle around your new tooth positions. That stabilization process takes time, and your retainer makes sure things stay put while it happens.
Wearing your retainer as directed is one of the simplest things you can do to protect everything you’ve invested in your smile. The team at Belmont Orthodontics will walk you through exactly what to expect and be there to answer questions along the way, because a great smile is worth keeping.
Caring For Your Retainers
Taking care of your retainer is a lot simpler than most people expect, and Dr. Melita at Belmont Orthodontics will make sure you know exactly what to do from day one. The basics come down to keeping it clean, keeping it safe, and wearing it as directed. For removable retainers, a gentle rinse and light brushing after each use goes a long way and you should avoid hot water, which can warp the material, and steer clear of harsh chemicals that can break it down over time. When it’s not in your mouth, it should be in its case, not wrapped in a napkin, not sitting on a countertop, and definitely not within reach of a curious pet. For fixed retainers, regular flossing around the wire is key to keeping your gums healthy and the retainer doing its job. Dr. Melita and the team at Belmont Orthodontics are always just a call away if something feels off, a wire comes loose, or you simply have questions because looking after your retainer means looking after the smile you worked so hard to get.