Oral Health: 5 Important Reasons to Wear Dental Retainers
If you have misaligned teeth or crooked teeth, among the treatments that can straighten your teeth are retainers and braces. Retainers keep your teeth in position after removing braces.
Let’s look at some of the most important reasons to wear dental retainers.
Retain the Teeth Position
An orthodontic process is a costly procedure. You will not only invest your money but your time as well. You don’t want the experience of seeing all these investments go down the drain when your teeth shift out of place a few days after the procedure.
Teeth retainers will help you maintain the position of the teeth and keep your teeth straight for the rest of your life. It will prevent your teeth from going back to their original position, hence help you retain the beautiful smile you paid for.
Better Chewing
You need to chew your food properly to benefit from all the nutrients. Straight teeth help you chew better and easier. When you chew properly, the saliva production increases. This helps to produce more digestive enzymes that help in proper food digestion.
This also reduces plaque buildup and decreases teeth cavities. Straight teeth are also easier to clean, and with clean teeth, you’ll be able to reduce plaque in the mouth.
Dental Retainers Improve Speech
Retainers are widely used to help improve speech, especially in kids. According to Kids Health, retainers work well to help improve tongue placement in kids, which in turn helps develop their vocal clarity.
Some retainers for teeth are specifically designed for this purpose. They are made with metal bars that hang from the roof of the mouth to keep the tongue in place. They will prevent the tongue from going forward when one speaks. Your tongue will go through the roof of the mouth instead of going through the teeth.
Beautiful Smile
Some people will go to the extent of investing a lot of cash for the sake of a beautiful smile. The orthodontic treatment gives you a straight smile, but you need to do all it takes to retain it.
You need straighter smiles not only for beauty but also to gain confidence. The braces will only stay in place for about 12 to 24 months. You need retainers to keep your teeth in place for the rest of your life. Ask yourself how much is a retainer as compared to the cost of getting another orthodontic treatment after a relapse?
Additional Treatment
Some patients who go through orthodontic treatment need additional treatment to complete the procedure. Some may clench and grind their teeth when sleeping, a condition known as Bruxism. Bruxism retainers provide a buffer between the teeth preventing grinding and clenching.
Retainers also help treat TMJ. This is a condition where the mouth refuses to open and close properly after orthodontic treatment. When the jaws don’t open or close, you will feel a lot of pain. A TMJ retainer helps in keeping the jaw in line hence preventing the pain.
Dental Retainers Make a Difference
Orthodontic treatment is expensive, and relapse can cost you more. You need to take care of your teeth after the procedure by using dental retainers.
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