Has your child worn braces or Invisalign Teen® aligners to straighten their teeth for a healthier, more appealing smile? Orthodontics is a wonderful way to straighten your child’s teeth, line up their jaws to give them a better bite, fill in gaps between teeth and even fix crowding of their teeth. No matter what the purpose, our Sugarbug Dental team in Oxnard, CA can give your child’s smile the alignment they need.
But straightening their teeth is just the first part of the alignment process. Once their teeth are straight, they will need to wear a retainer to maintain the new position of their teeth. Your child’s retainer is simply a custom-made oral appliance that we provide for them to wear over their teeth. Without this appliance to keep their teeth in check, they can slowly move back to their original position. Wearing a retainer can help their newly straightened teeth stay in place and look and function properly.
3 Kinds of Retainers
1- Hawley Retainer: A clear acrylic appliance with wires and clasps covering the upper arch. It can also rest along the tongue (lingual walls) on the side of the teeth for the lower arch. The wire clasps wrap around the front of their teeth while the plastic part fits comfortably on the palate.
2- Clear Retainer: This acts much like the Invisalign® aligner does, made of an invisible, clear plastic material that fits over their teeth.
3- Fixed retainers: Permanent retainers that are bonded to the back of your child’s front teeth to prevent tooth movement.
Retainer Care
Your child will need to take care of their retainer by keeping it clean and safe in a container that they won’t accidentally throw out when taking it out. This means cleaning it every day to get rid of oral bacteria and food particles left behind after eating. Your child should only use warm water to clean it, not hot, and make sure it is stored in its case when they aren’t wearing it.
Dr. Vikrum Nanda is pleased to help your child get the correct retainer best suited for their needs. You can schedule a visit or drop by our office to learn more.