All measures to stabilize an orthodontic treatment result after the end of active treatment are called retention in orthodontics. Retention is a necessary part of orthodontic treatment because all tooth movements tend to return towards their initial state after the end of treatment. This is especially true for the anterior teeth, whose permanent straightening naturally interests patients the most because they are visible during speech and laughter.
Since the tendency for the front teeth to relapse remains indefinitely, retention is reasonably carried out throughout the patient’s entire life.
Removable and fixed appliances for retention
Various removable and fixed braces are used for retention, all of which can be called retainers. Suitable removable retainers are so-called plate appliances – common children’s braces with a plastic body and wire retaining clips – or transparent clear foils of the aligner type. The disadvantage of removable retainers is their dependence on cooperation, and the need to replace them periodically because they eventually wear out and become unhygienic.
If the front teeth were initially severely rotated, wearing loose retainers at night is often not enough, meaning that they would also have to be worn for several hours during the day. However, this usually fails, so fixed retainers are always the better choice in such cases!
Fixed retainers are thin wires that are bonded behind the 6 front teeth. Unfortunately, not all orthodontists succeed in making them comfortable and hygienic, but basically fixed retainers are the gold standard in orthodontics.
Costs
Unfortunately, statutory health insurance only covers removable retainers. Fixed retainers are only available under certain circumstances and only for the lower jaw, meaning that those with statutory health insurance usually have to pay for fixed retainers themselves. The costs are usually between € 300 and € 500 per jaw.
Stabilize anterior teeth for life
Since human anterior teeth have a lifelong tendency to migrate and shift more or less noticeably, it automatically follows that serious retention must always be done indefinitely. Unfortunately, this is often not communicated so clearly at the beginning of orthodontic treatments. Many patients and their parents have high expectations in this regard and are bitterly disappointed when the front teeth become crooked again soon after treatment. In fact, all patients know this from the beginning: Stabilization of anterior teeth is a task for life!