invisalign: Wearing a Permanent Retainer

by Mom It Forward on March 31st, 2014 | 1 Comment »

My son has been wearing invisalign for almost a year now. We have seen some big changes in his teeth. To be honest, they moved a lot faster than I had anticipated. I am a member of the Invisalign Teen Mom Advisory Board. My son has received complimentary treatment from Invisalign. At our last visit, we were told that it was time for a permanent retainer. Retention is a critical piece of your orthodontic care. There are three options for retainers. A clear plastic retainer, the Hawley retainer, or a fixed bonded retainer. We choose to go with the fixed bonded retainer.

I have to admit, I was a little worried about having my son wear permanent retainers. I had one when I was a child, and it was hard to floss my teeth. After consulting with Dr. Jensen, we went with the bonded retainer. Here are some of the reason why I chose what I did.

Permanent Retainer

Avoid Teeth Shifting - Teeth shift after you are done with orthodontic treatment. If you go the route of a removable retainer, there is the chance you might forget to wear them. Before you know it, your teeth begin to shift and you need to wear invisalign again. Permanent retainers are just that, permanent. There is no worry about putting them in.
Permanent Solution to Straight Teeth - Fixed bonded retainers will last a lifetime if you take care of them. When I was in Dr. Jensen's office, I talked to a few of the assistants that had been wearing their permanent fixtures for over 10 years. These retainers can stay in place as long as you can maintain healthy gums and teeth.
One Time Cost - If your teeth move at all, your plastic retainers or Hawley retainer won't fit. You will have to spend money to get other retainers replace. My bonded retainer came free with my treatment plan. As long as you take care of them, you won't have to purchase any additional appliances to keep your teeth straight.
Invisable - Premanent retainers go on the backside of the lower and upper middle six teeth. No one will even see them.

My son has been 14 years old for most of his treatment. He has worn his invisalign religiously. I couldn't be more proud of him. Because of this, he was able to finish his treatment on time, and transition quickly into permanent retainers.

If you or your child is interested in finding out if invisalign is right for you, go to the invisalign Smile Assessment page to see if you are a good candidate. You can also locate a orthodontist in your area using this Dr. locator site. We found our orthodontist this way, and we couldn't have been more happy with our choice.

Do you have permanent retainer? What are the pros and cons to having them?

I am a member of the Invisalign Teen Mom Advisory Board. My son has received complimentary treatment from Invisalign, but all opinions expressed are my own. http://www.invisalign.com/pages/mabdisclosure