Permanent Retainers: Advantage, Disadvantage, cost and know all about it
Fixed retainers, also known as permanent retainers, are constructed of a metal wire that is fastened to your teeth. This wire is usually smooth and solid, sometimes it has a braided texture. It is linked to your teeth and fitted to your bite in order to prevent your teeth from moving or becoming crooked.
After braces, orthodontists often suggest permanent retainers to keep your teeth from shifting back to their original position.
If you’re having trouble sticking to your orthodontist’s detachable retainer requirements, he or she may recommend one. However, for the bonding substance to keep the retainer in place, there must be a particular amount of tooth surface area.
For the greatest long-term outcomes, orthodontists often utilize a mix of removable and permanent retainers. Permanent retainers, on the other hand, are becoming more popular, according to recent polls of professional orthodontists.
Removable retainers are normally used on the top teeth, and permanent retainers are normally used on the bottom teeth, but the optimum retainer for your teeth will be determined by your dentist.
Let’s take a look at how permanent retainers function, how they compare to other types of retainers, and how to clean and care for them so you can preserve your best smile.
About permanent retainers
The following are other names for permanent retainers:
- Lingual wire
- fixed retainers
- bonded retainers
The teeth of the lower jaw are more typically fitted with permanent retainers.
Because it is attached or bonded to the back surface of your teeth, the retainer is known as a lingual wire. Lower teeth, such as the cuspids (canine teeth), are simpler to bind the bonding material to for long-term effectiveness.
The term “permanent retainer” describes precisely what the device does: it remains in place on your teeth indefinitely to prevent them from shifting. It’s possible that you’ll have to wear a retainer for the rest of your life.
If your permanent retainer irritates your gums or teeth, or if it causes excessive plaque or tartar build-up on the teeth surrounding it, your dentist or orthodontist may remove it.
What does it cost to have a permanent retainer?
A permanent retainer, also known as a bonded retainer, may cost anywhere from $150 to $500 to install or repair if lost or destroyed. The initial placement fee may be deducted from the total cost of your braces.
Read More: Retainer: What is It, Types, Cost, Benefits, drawback you must know
Advantage and Disadvantage of permanent retainers
Advantages:
- It doesn’t need you to take it on and off, making it simpler to maintain your teeth in place once your braces are removed.
- Because it is bonded behind your teeth, no one else knows it’s there but you.
- Because it has little to no influence on your speech, you won’t feel self-conscious about wearing it in public.
- It’s impossible to lose since it’s firmly fastened with dental adhesive.
- It retains your teeth in place to assist maintain your teeth aligned since the retainer is constantly in position, making it impossible to damage from regular daily usage of your mouth.
Disadvantage:
- Attaching a permanent retainer may be a time-consuming and unpleasant operation. The process of bonding a retainer to your teeth might take up to one hour. For a detachable retainer, all you have to do is take a short imprint that your orthodontist can use to create one that fits your mouth perfectly. • Brushing and flossing around a permanent retainer takes more work. If you don’t take the time to properly clean around your permanent retainer, you risk developing cavities and gum disease.
- It might be unpleasant to have a metal thing in your mouth all of the time. It’s possible that your tongue will brush against the wire. Your tongue may get irritated or scraped if the bond comes loose or the wire breaks.
- Consumption of certain meals may alter its effectiveness. Biting into hard or difficult items, such as an entire apple or a rough steak, may cause the wire to flex out of shape. Foods heavy in artificial sugars or comparable additives, such as soda, may wear away at the bonding substance, causing the retainer to weaken its grip on the teeth.
- If the wire breaks or debones, it will need to be repaired or replaced. It’s possible that you’ll have to pay a replacement cost to have a new one created.
If your retainer becomes bent or shifts, what should you do?
If your retainer is bent or has migrated, don’t try to repair it on your own. Too much strain on the retainer might cause the bonding material or wire to shatter, causing damage to your teeth.
If the retainer’s form is altered, it will no longer maintain your teeth in their normal locations. • Schedule an appointment with your orthodontist if your retainer is crooked or shifts. If your retainer isn’t irritating you or harming other areas of your mouth, schedule an appointment with your dentist or orthodontist as soon as possible to have it adjusted or fixed.
- Make an appointment with your dentist or orthodontist as soon as possible. If a piece of your retainer has broken off or another area of your mouth has been hurt, contact your dentist or orthodontist as soon as possible to avoid additional harm to your teeth, mouth, or retainer.
- Determine who to call in the event of an emergency. In the event of an emergency, many dentists and orthodontists offer a phone number or text message that you may contact or send. If your dentist or orthodontist has one, inquire about it so you may get rapid assistance if your retainer breaks or causes you harm.
Clean your permanent retainer and teeth
Clean your retainer on a daily basis to keep it in good working order and to safeguard the teeth surrounding it.
Brush normally, being sure to get your bristles in and out of all the gaps between the teeth to ensure that no region is overlooked, particularly places near the bonded material or behind the wire itself.
Flossing with a permanent retainer: some helpful hints
With permanent retainers, flossing is a major difficulty.
But if you get the hang of it the first few times, flossing with a permanent retainer isn’t that difficult. Here are some cleaning suggestions for flossing with a permanent retainer:
- Shimmy a 6-inch length of floss between two of your front bottom teeth using a floss threader, taking one end of the floss between your fingers and the other end in the threader.
- Gently raise and lower the floss down the sides of the teeth from their tops to where they contact the gums when it is between the teeth. If you use too much power, you risk cutting or injuring your gums.
- When you’ve done with one set of teeth, slide the floss back up to the top of the teeth and continue on to the next set.
- Clean between the next set of teeth by pulling the floss down between them and repeating step 2 as needed.
- Repeat these procedures until you’ve flossed between all of the teeth that your permanent retainer is holding in place.
Comparison Permanent vs removable retainers
Permanent retainers provide a number of advantages
- It doesn’t need you to take it on and off, making it simpler to maintain your teeth in place once your braces are removed.
- Because it is bonded behind your teeth, no one else knows it’s there but you.
- Because it has little to no influence on your speech, you won’t feel self-conscious about wearing it in public.
- It’s impossible to lose since it’s firmly fastened with dental adhesive.
- It retains your teeth in place to assist maintain your teeth aligned since the retainer is constantly in position, making it impossible to damage from regular daily usage of your mouth.
Removable retainers provide a number of advantages
- You may remove them whenever you want, such as while you’re eating or brushing your teeth.
- Getting an imprint (mould) of your mouth to manufacture a removable retainer that will endure for years takes approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- You may clean them quickly by soaking them in one of the several cleaning solutions available. Because germs may easily accumulate on plastic detachable retainers, this is strongly advised.
- Removable retainers may be beneficial for upper teeth, since lower teeth may bite on an upper fixed retainer, making it simpler to floss. This might make the retainer less secure or perhaps cause it to break.
If you believe it will be difficult to wear a retainer for comfort or aesthetic reasons, a permanent retainer may seem like a terrific option to one that you have to put on and take off all the time. However, each form of retainer has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Some Frequently Asked Question about permanent retainer
Is a permanent retainer for life?
It’s possible that you’ll have to wear a retainer for the rest of your life. If your permanent retainer irritates your gums or teeth, or if it causes excessive plaque or tartar accumulation on the teeth surrounding it, your dentist or orthodontist may remove it.
How long do permanent retainers last?
Braces are only worn for a few years. Permanent retainers, on the other hand, are designed to remain in place for years, if not decades. Permanent retainers have even been worn for long to 20 years by certain persons.
Are permanent retainers better?
Because teeth move naturally as we age, a permanent retainer usually provides better long-term outcomes than a removable one for teeth straightening. On excursions, temporary retainers are often misplaced or forgotten, and they are not worn as often as they should be. Flossing is one of the disadvantages of permanent retainers.
Can teeth still move with a permanent retainer?
Fixed retainers may occasionally be gripped estrogenically since they are put on top of teeth rather than drilled into them. A movement that removes the adhesive from the tooth and/or the fixed retainer wire may then be used to break the connection. The teeth will shift and migrate if they are not fixed or replaced as soon as possible.
Can I remove the permanent retainer?
You cannot remove a permanent retainer since it is glued to the inner surface of your teeth. The capacity of a permanent retainer to maintain your teeth straight and your smile at its finest is its most notable feature.
How much does it cost to remove a permanent retainer?
The cost of removing a permanent retainer varies between $150 and $500. (this includes the cost of repair and replacement if the permanent retainer broke on one side).
What can you not eat with a permanent retainer?
What foods am I allowed to consume while wearing my bonded (or permanent) retainers? You may eat anything you want, but hard or sticky foods that put a lot of strain on the bonded retainers should be avoided. Chewing sticky or hard foods that put direct pressure on the retainer should be avoided. It will and might break if this occurs.
Are permanent retainers bad for your teeth?
Permanent retainers are one option to consider if you want to keep your flawless smile after you’ve had your braces removed. “Are permanent retainers dangerous for my teeth in the long run?” people often inquire. The short answer is no. You should have no concerns as long as you floss and see your dentist for cleanings on a regular basis.
Can you chew gum with permanent retainer?
Chewing gum while wearing retainers is not a good idea! A bonded retainer is a thin wire that is cemented (bonded) to the tongue side of your lower front six teeth.
What happens if my permanent retainer comes off?
If you stop using your retainer and: You have large gaps between your teeth that were repaired by orthodontic treatment, your teeth may go misaligned again. Your jaw hasn’t fully developed yet. Without the permanent retainer keeping your teeth in place, you might see or feel them shift over time.
How does a permanent retainer feel?
To guarantee that the teeth do not relapse, a permanent, or bonded, retainer is affixed to the back of the teeth. You may find that your retainer feels somewhat tight and unpleasant during the first few of days you use it. But don’t worry; it won’t take long for your mouth to adjust.
Conclusion
Permanent retainers may be a good option to a removable plastic retainer, but they aren’t right for everyone.
Talk to a dentist or orthodontist about your alternatives for your dental goals and needs (you can even obtain numerous opinions) to discover what’s best for you.
