My teeth have moved after my braces came off

[Haidi]

Hi

I had metal braces last year and when they were removed, I was told to wear a retainer. However I could not tolerate having the big plastic retainer in my mouth and after a few months my teeth started to move back to their original state.

My teeth now look crowded and I am worried that I will need to go through metal brace treatment again to correct them. I would like to know if Invisalign could make my teeth straight again without having the metal brace treatment all over again.

Once the Invisalign treatment is finished, is there a way of keeping the teeth in that position without wearing a big bulky retainer?

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Hello Haidi,

Thank you for your post.

Following orthodontic treatment there is a tendency for the teeth to partially or completely move back to their original position. To stop this happening retainers must be worn after completion of orthodontic treatment. There are generally two types of retainers, fixed and removable. The fixed retainer is not bulky and is hidden at the back of the teeth. Modern removable retainers are not very bulky and should feel comfortable. The Vivera invisalign retainers are very similar to the invisalign aligners and are just a little thicker to prevent teeth moving.

Orthodontic relapse cases are treated well with invisalign and you are likely to be a good candidate for invisalign treatment. Following a consultation and assessment we can confirm if your case can be treated with invisalign.

After completion of invisalign treatment we can bond a fixed retainer to the back of your front teeth and this will keep the teeth from relapsing. However in some cases the bite does not allow a fixed retainer to be bonded and the only option will be the removable retainer. Removable retainers now are not bulky and should feel comfortable to wear.