Should i still wear the retainer as it hangs in one side?
Patient: I had braces for two years and have been wearing a top retainer for about a two years as well. Recently I havent been wearing my retainer... Its probably been around 2 weeks. Now the back of one of the sides will not remain pressed to my teeth (its a clear retainer) and hangs down slightly, compared to the rest of the retainer, which is clinging o my teeth quite tightly. Should I still wear the retainer with hopes that it will help shift my teeth back into place? Or will I need to see my ortho? Doctor: Hi..Welcome to HEALTHCARE MAGIC...I have gone through your query and can understand your concern..As per your complain Retainer is an Orthodontic appliance that is used to maintain the aligned position of the teeth after completion of the orthodontic treatment to align the teeth..If the retainer is not pressing on the teeth and has become loss it may be possibly due to movement of the teeth due to not wearing the retainer for a long time..It is of no use to wear it as untill it is able to apply pressure it will not give any positive results and if you wear it there can be relapse of misalignment of teeth..You should consult your orthodontist and get evaluated for whether you further need retainer or not and if required you need to either get it adjusted or a new retainer may needed to be fabricated for you that applies appropriate forces over the teeth and helps in maintaining its alignment..Hope this information helps..Thanks and regards..Dr.Honey Nandwani Arora..