When you get your braces off at SOCO Pediatric Dentistry we will scan your teeth and send them to our 3D printer. Our 3D printer will print your model.
Once the model is printed we can use it to make your retainer in the office and the same day. This retainer will be an Essix retainer and be passive because your teeth are straight, and we don’t want them to move.
Your gums have muscle memory and the gums want to rotate your teeth back to their original position. Immediately after the braces come off you are instructed to wear your retainers in our office full-time for the first 8 weeks.
After this, some “memory” is lost and you can wear them just at night time. While the “memory” gets lost over time, as we age our teeth want to crowd towards the front of our mouths and that is why retainers are required for as long as you want your teeth straight.
Besides being clear and esthetic, Essix retainers can be made thicker for patients that grind and have a nightguard effect as the retainers cover the biting surfaces of the tooth.
But because it’s plastic, it does need to be replaced more frequently than Hawley retainers.
Since we all know people don’t wear their retainers for life. We have active retainers. They are not a perfect science and you will most likely not see 100% correction and instead will see only an improvement.
If finances are limited but what some correction this could be a good option. If you are looking for 100% correction I would recommend a few Invisalign trays instead.
If you decide to go with this option, you will wear the retainer full time for 2-3 months at the end of those few months whatever correction you will most likely all you will gain from the appliance. Then, you can wear this retainer at night and turns into a passive retainer like the Essix retainer.
The benefit of this appliance is that it is made out of acrylic and metal so it can last for 15+ years. However, it is less aesthetic than the Essix retainer and has metal and a bulky acrylic bar crossing the front of your teeth. It also has no nightguard effect as it doesn’t cover the biting surfaces of your teeth.
As always, follow us on Instagram and Tik Tok, Facebook and YouTube (@socopdo) for more tricks and tips.
