You did it—your smile looks incredible! After months of braces or Invisalign®, you’re officially in the retention phase. But now the big questions start rolling in…
- “How long am I supposed to wear my retainer?”
- “Is this a forever thing?”
- “What happens if I stop wearing it?”
Totally normal questions—and your team at Russell Orthodontics has real, straightforward answers. We’re breaking down exactly how retainers work, how long to wear them, and how to keep that smile looking amazing for life.
TL;DR (Key Takeaways)
- How long? As long as you want your smile to stay straight!
- Why wear one? Retainers keep your teeth from shifting after braces or Invisalign®.
- How often? Full-time for one year, then nights only to maintain results.
- Bonus? Our +SmileLOCK™ retainer program protects you from lost, cracked, or dog-chewed retainers.
- At Russell Orthodontics in Watkinsville, Athens, and Grayson, we offer complimentary orthodontic consultations!
Why do you wear a retainer after Invisalign®?
Once you’ve finished your Invisalign® treatment, active treatment is over – but retention begins! This is the key to holding your smile in its beautiful new formation.
Aligners move your teeth, according to a personalized, precise treatment plan created by your highly-experienced Watkinsville, Athens, and Grayson orthodontist! Because your teeth are making tiny, gradual movements throughout treatment, the bone and tissue need a period of consistent stabilization once the movement is complete.
Without stabilization, through the support of your custom-designed retainers, teeth are prone to ‘orthodontic relapse’ (reverting back to their original, pre-treatment positions.)
Simply put: Orthodontic treatment moves your teeth into place, but it’s your retainer’s job is to keep them there.
So how long do you have to wear a retainer?
How long you’re instructed to wear your retainer after active treatment depends on your specific orthodontist’s instructions.
At Russell Orthodontics, we advise that our patients wear retainers full-time for one year after treatment, then you can reduce wear to nights only.
Do you actually have to wear a retainer forever?
Okay, so let’s get to the question you’re really wondering. Do you have to wear a retainer forever?
The honest answer is yes. If you want to keep your perfectly-aligned smile in its best condition for life, you’ll have to wear your retainer at night time for a lifetime.
So the answer to “when can I stop wearing my retainer at night”, is – when you stop wearing your retainer, you’re risking your teeth shifting out of place. In most cases, patients who stop wearing their retainers need re-treatment or a touch-up treatment in the future if they want to re-align their smile. (We can create a personalized Invisalign touch-up treatment plan for patients whose teeth have shifted!)
While skipping a night or two here or there (after you’ve been wearing your retainer for a few years) won’t do much harm, the best thing you can do is make wearing your retainer part of your nightly routine.
Just like wearing glasses, brushing your teeth, or doing your nightly skincare routine, wearing your retainer is something you need to do daily if you want the benefits. And once it’s a part of your routine, you won’t think twice about it!
Tips to Make Wearing Your Retainer Part of Your Routine
Here are a few tips that can help integrate your retainer into your routine:
- Set an alarm. Give yourself some sort of reminder! Whether it’s an alarm on your phone, or a sticky note on your bathroom mirror, give yourself a reminder you can’t ignore.
- Get an extra retainer case. If it’s not realistic for you to carry your retainer case with you, without forgetting it, get an extra carrying case so you can have one in your home, and one in your backpack or handbag.
- Check it off your list, daily. Who doesn’t love checking a task off a written to-do list, or clicking a ‘done’ box on your phone notes? It makes you feel accomplished, productive, and proactive! Don’t underestimate the power of writing your retainer reminder down, and crossing it out daily until you create the habit.
And as always, don’t hesitate to ask Doc Russell for tips or advice!
Your FAQs About Retainer Wear: Answered
Still have questions about how long you have to wear a retainer? Here are some quick FAQs and answers to clear up your concerns!
What happens if I stop wearing my retainer?
If you stop wearing your retainer one day, you might not notice a difference the first few days. But trust us, changes are still happening!
Eventually, whether it’s after a few weeks or months of not wearing your retainer, you may feel a difference in your bite, notice a pre-treatment symptom returning, see a tooth or few teeth start to shift out of alignment, or you’ll try to wear it again and notice that your retainer doesn’t fit anymore.
Can I stop wearing my retainer after 2 years?
You can, but you shouldn’t. Your teeth may take a little longer to ‘relapse’ back to their original positions, but it will happen over time.
If I start wearing my retainer again, will my teeth move back?
It depends on how long it’s been since you’ve worn your retainer regularly, and how much your teeth have shifted.
If your teeth are just beginning to shift, they might go back if you start wearing your retainer again, consistently. But if your teeth have already moved, you may find that you can’t even put your retainer in anymore.
If your retainer doesn’t fit anymore or you’ve lost it, reach out to us as soon as possible! We want to help you get a replacement retainer to prevent further shifting.
Protect Your Investment with the SmileLOCK™ Retainer Membership
Retainers get lost. They crack. They warp. They get stepped on, thrown away at restaurants, or become your dog’s new favorite chew toy. (We see it all.)
That’s why Doc Russell created the +SmileLOCK™ Retainer Program.
Here’s what you get:
- Replacement retainers available at request for 10 years
- Huge savings compared to paying for replacements individually
- Zero stress whenever something unexpected happens
- Retreatment savings
- Perks like free teeth whitening
+SmileLOCK™ keeps your results protected AND makes replacing retainers easy, quick, and affordable.
To learn more or enroll, check out our +SmileLOCK™ page!
Keep your smile in beautiful condition for life!
Remember, your retainer is your smile insurance! Regular wear is key to maintaining that beautiful smile you worked so hard for.
If you have questions about retainers, Invisalign® or other orthodontic treatments, please reach out to us at (706) 549-0110! We’re here to give you all of the info, tips, and tricks you need.
Haven’t started your journey yet? We have an experienced family orthodontist near you in Watkinsville, Athens, and Grayson, GA.
Book a complimentary consultation with us if you’re looking for a top children’s orthodontist, or orthodontist for adults near you!
