Retainers are not an orthodontic appliance in that they do not move the teeth. They are however essential in almost all cases to help prevent the teeth moving once the braces are removed.

Retainers are important Almost every patient who has had orthodontic treatment needs to wear retainers. If you do not wear these retainers then your teeth will go crooked again, and the hard work in wearing the braces will be lost. You should only go ahead with orthodontic brace treatment if you are also happy to wear retainers to keep the result at the end.

Why do I need to wear retainers? There are two reasons for wearing retainers:
• Teeth tend to want to move back towards their original positions. This is called relapse.
• As we get older our teeth may start to move unpredictably, often showing some crossing over and increase in crowding.
By wearing retainers long-term we can reduce these age changes in the position of the teeth. The longer you wear retainers, the longer you can keep your teeth straight.
What are retainers? Retainers are fitted at the end of orthodontic treatment after the braces are removed. They can be either removable or fixed onto the teeth. There are different types of retainers. The choice of retainer is affected by a number of different factors and your orthodontist will explain which retainer is best for you. Sometimes you will be recommended to wear more than one type of retainer to reduce the chances of the teeth relapsing.
Types of retainers There are lots of different types of retainers. The commonest types of retainers are the vacuum-formed retainer, the bonded retainer and the Hawley retainer.