retainer broke. how long till my teeth shift?!


Question: Retainer broke. how long till my teeth shift?
my retainer (one of those hard plastic ones) broke. i wore it every night faithfully since i got my braces off, which was about 6 months ago. i called the dentist to make an appointment to have a new one made, but they didn't have any openings till the middle of next month.i am probably being paranoid, but i am really worried about my teeth moving. about how long will it be till they start shifting? i really don't want to go through the torture of braces again.

Answers:

There is no hard or fast rule about teeth shifting back. At least you had 6 months of solid retainer wear before this happened. At six months, your periodontal ligaments could still be a little loose, so it's important that you get back into your retainer as soon as you can. Chances are when you pop in the new retainer, it may feel tight for a few nights, but then everything should be OK again.

Your dentist should still have your tooth molds. Tell his office that you just want to order a new top or bottom retainer. They can probably order it for you without you needing to go in for an appointment first.

If they insist that you must be seen first to get a new retainer, tell them that you want to be put on a waiting list for last-minute openings. If the person who answers the phone isn't willing to help you, try to speak to the dentist directly. (Sometimes the office staff at dental offices just can't be bothered to help patients who don't fit into their schedules).

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It really depends on two things, your age, and your diet. if your younger, the teeth are still trying to develop and move into their final position. The food that you eat can also effect tooth movement, tougher foods cause more stress to be placed on the teeth making them more vulnerable to movement. It is detrimental that you get an appointment as soon as possible, but I have never heard of teeth shifting within a matter of weeks it takes a long time for teeth to move, that's why braces are worn so long. If it really bothers you, try getting an Invisiline to keep things in order until a new retainer is made. Hope everything works out for you!

Cheers!

Had Braces



They probably won't shift enough to warrant full braces again. I find it pretty odd that they can't get a new retainer for you right away...I would call them again if I were you and if your parents are at all involved, get them to call as well. The sooner you get a new retainer the better and the dentist (or orthodontist) should know that.

Been through full braces TWICE. I feel your pain!




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