For all malocclusions treated with appliances, maintenance is a very important stage and content. The length of time the retainer is used and the stability of the teeth are closely related, and vary greatly from person to person. Patients with more stable teeth spent less time using the retainer, and those with unstable teeth took longer. Generally speaking, there are still certain rules to follow. It takes at least one year for the tissue around the teeth to recover and stabilize, and the first three months after orthodontic treatment are particularly prone to recurrence.
Therefore, for the first 6 months of the removal of the appliance, the retainer is worn every day and night. Since the retainer will affect the close contact of the upper and lower teeth during occlusion, it needs to be removed when eating; the retainer should be removed when brushing and cleaned. Wear it at other times. After that, it was changed to nighttime retainer for 6 months. The maintenance period should be at least 12 months, and the wearing time of the retainer should be gradually reduced after that. For patients with younger age and potential for growth and development, retainers are generally used until the end of growth and development. For some deformities that are very prone to recurrence, such as interdental spaces, severe torsion of teeth, a longer maintenance period or even life-long maintenance is required.
