The traditional braces installed in your mouth by our orthodontist, Dr. Michael Jacobsen, incorporated several important components. Through the course of your regular adjustments, your teeth were gradually altered in their alignment and orientation to provide you with a better-functioning mouth as well as a more appealing smile.
After your braces have been removed, there will still be a mild amount of latent tension in the dental sockets and periodontal ligaments. If it isn’t addressed, it could cause your teeth to relapse out of their ideal alignment.
To prevent this complication, Dr. Michael Jacobsen will provide you with a retainer. This is typically done immediately after your braces have been removed.
A Hawley-style retainer is the most common type of retainer used to preserve the alignment of the upper teeth. It is a single removable mouthpiece made from a special orthodontic acrylic material. It typically incorporates strong wires that are designed to hold the retainer in place by wrapping around specific teeth.
If a specific area required significant realignment, Dr. Michael Jacobsen may need to install a fixed metal retainer. This strong metal band is cemented behind the teeth to ensure that they remain in their corrected alignment.
If you are in the Victorville, California, area, and if you have a question about retainers, you can call 760-951-7752 to speak to one of the orthodontic specialists at Jacobsen & Maleeh Orthodontics.