RETAINERS
Congratulations! Now that we have completed the active phase of your orthodontic treatment, we are entering the second and most important retention phase. Removing your braces signals the start of 12 months of retention supervision. We have all worked hard to attain a good result, and not, only patient cooperation can maintain our achievement.

Why must I wear retainers?
The process of moving teeth orthodontically involves the breakdown and reformation of new bone. When the braces are first removed, the teeth will be slightly loose and possible a little sensitive. This is normal, and it will correct itself over the next few months. Because the teeth are loose, this is the most critical time to wear the retainers, otherwise the teeth WILL shift, possible requiring braces again. In order to maintain the beautiful smile that we have created, retainer wear is a lifetime commitment. Many studies have shown that people will see mine crowding develop (especially in the lower front teeth) as they age. This is true whether they have braces or not! This process, called “late maturational changes of the face,” is just part of getting older, and the amount rate of shifting varies among individuals. Your teeth want to move for your entire life, and only retainer wear can limit this change.

How often should I wear my retainers?
For the first month, retainers MUST be worn full time (24 hours/day). The retainers should only be removed for eating, brushing, and playing sports. Because the teeth are slightly loose, this first month of full time wear absolutely critical. After the first month, retainers can be worn at night only for the next year. You may continue to wear them during the day if you wish; however in most cases, this is unnecessary.

After 1 year of nighttime wear, you can work on finding your magic number. Because everyone’s teeth may move at different rates, it may not be necessary to wear the retainers every night. Your magic number will be the maximum number of nights that you can skip wearing retainers and not have any tooth movement. You find this number by first skipping 1 night of wear and noticing how “tight” the retainers feel the next night. Any “tightness” means that the teeth are trying to shift. If there is no “tightness” you continue to skip 1 night between each night of use for the next month. After the month of skipping 1 night is over, you try skipping 2 nights for 1 month. Eventually, y9u will skip a certain number of nights, and you will feel “tightness” when you place the retainers. DO NOT continually skips this number of nights. Your magic number is 1 less than the number that causes the “tightness”. You will continue to wear the retainers at this frequency Indefinitely or your teeth will shift.

GROWTH EVALUTION PROGRAM

Your child has been identified as a candidate for future authentic treatment, and Dr. Ricci has suggested a program to follow facial growth and development until appropriate corrective measures can be initiated. We call this our Growth Evaluation Program. Throughout this program, your child’s tooth and jaw development will be monitored until the optimal stage has been reached to begin active treatment. This will allow us to treat your child to the highest standards within the shortest or most appropriate amount of time. We will work closely with your family dentist during the evaluation program.

YOUR PROGRAM MAY INCLUDE:

• Complimentary evaluation appointments at 3 to 12 month intervals until
  Treatment is started.
• Radiograph (x-rays) may be taken to determine the present stage of dental development and evaluate future problems with the developing permanent teeth
• Recommendation for possible primary (baby) tooth removal by your family dentist or oral surgeon
• Space maintainers or retainers may be placed when indicated to prevent the shifting of specific key permanent teeth (all appliance fees will be quoted at that time

TOOTH SIZE PROBLEMS (SPACES)

Spaces between your can be due to both the position of the teeth and/or the size of the teeth. Orthodontic treatment (braces) will move the teeth into proper position, and this will reduce or eliminate the spaces. Inn order to have straight teeth with no spaces between them, all the teeth need to be specific sizes in proportion to each other. Quite often, some of the teeth may be either smaller or larger than normal, resulting in some small spaces or some bite issues. Since we want to leave the teeth in the proper position (bite), we may be forced to leave some small spaces. In some cases, small spaces may develop slowly over time once the braces are removed. The location of the spaces varies from person to person based upon which teeth are affected. The key point is that braces will move the teeth but cannot change the shape or size of the teeth.

Treatment of tooth size problems varies based upon the severity of the problem, the location of the problem, and patient cosmetic concerns. Some people may elect to simply leave some small spaces; this is perfectly acceptable. For more severe cases of misshaped or small teeth, it will be necessary to reshape or widen the teeth with bonding, veneers, or crowns in order to make all the spaces disappear. Your general dentist at an addition cost will do this to you. Your orthodontic treatment fees do not include payment for bonding, veneers, crowns, or any other procedure not performed by our office.

Some of these problems previous, and dental treatment will be planned from the beginning. Occasionally the problem is less obvious and may not show up until the end of treatment. In either case, the final decision as to which teeth to restore or the actual dental procedure is not done until the end of orthodontic treatment.