A Retention Phase Will Be Needed After Your Braces Have Been Removed

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The braces installed in your mouth by Dr. Galati have gradually realigned the position of your teeth through successive adjustments. Now that your dentition has been fully corrected, he can uninstall the orthodontic hardware.

However, this is not the end of the process. There will still be some residual tension lingering in your dental sockets. If it’s not addressed in some way, it could cause your teeth to once again drift out of their ideal position.

A retention phase will still be needed to ensure that your teeth remain in their new alignment. This calls for Dr. Galati to provide you with some form or retainer.

A Hawley retainer is the most common. It’s essentially a custom shaped piece of acrylic that fits into the upper portion of the mouth. It is removable, yet when worn in your mouth it is firmly held in place by a set of wires that lock onto specific teeth.

A clear plastic retainer might be called for if your teeth only needed a moderate amount of correction.  This type of retainer is challenging for the casual observer to notice.

If one area was significantly misaligned, Dr. Galati might recommend installing a fixed retainer behind the corresponding teeth. This is a strong metal band that he cements in place to firmly hold the teeth in place.

If you had the alignment of your teeth corrected at Dr. Galati’s orthodontic clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, and you have a question about retainers, you can always call 480-656-7801 to speak to a staff member at Galati Orthodontics.