Can I Wear My Retainer If It Is Tight?

There are various stages that patients who go through orthodontic care experience. There are some patients who may need their palate expanded so they need to wear specific hardware to accomplish the desired goal before wearing some form of braces. Other patients may strictly need to straighten their teeth and move straight into braces. No matter how your treatment may begin, every patient who wears braces will need a retainer when their braces are removed.

What is a Retainer?

Retainers are an extremely important part of your orthodontic journey. Most patients wear braces for many months and sometimes years to move teeth into the perfect placement. Afterward, a retainer is needed to hold your teeth in place. Unfortunately, teeth love to move and shift any chance they are given. This is especially likely to happen when the teeth are not yet set in their new placement following orthodontic treatment. A retainer is meant to help the muscles and tissue in the mouth hold the teeth and set them in their new place.

What if My Retainer is Tight?

There is a certain novelty in showing off your beautiful, straight teeth. It can be tempting not to follow our recommendations when it comes to wearing your retainer. Most retainers are removable, so we cannot force patients to wear this important hardware. If you have not worn your retainer for a few days and you put it in your mouth, it might feel a little tight. If your retainer is tight, but you are still able to get it on your teeth, it is important that you wear your retainer as often as possible because your teeth have started to shift out of place. If you cannot get your retainer in your mouth at all or you are experiencing severe discomfort, please do not force the issue. You will only cause damage to your teeth. Contact our office as soon as possible, and we can evaluate the placement of your teeth.

If you are located in the Southfield, MI area and have questions about your retainer or are interested in scheduling a consultation to learn more about the orthodontic care we offer, we would love to hear from you. We look forward to helping you on the journey to improving your smile.