Why do adults get braces if results don't last?

[24braceface]

I've read that after braces teeth go back to their original position, especially for adults since they are already done growing. What is the point in getting braces if teeth move back?

Also with jaw surgery they use screws or metal plates to keep the bite in tact, is there anything more aggressive than retainers to keep the bite stable after braces?

[drgnchsr36]

If you wear your retainer, your teeth should remain as they were with braces. At least that's what I've been told.

[Ellebraced]

Good God!!

This better work this time. There will be no round 3 for me.

It is my understanding that wear your retainers at night forever or at least once a week and your teeth will stay.

I had braces at 13 but they think that you get wisdom teeth, then you get wisdom teeth out and then you get older, they think my upper jaw grew upwards and my lower jaw didn't grow big enough.

My teeth were pretty okay until I stopped wearing my retainers around 20. There was never follow ups or advice to wear retainers forever, like a 13 year old is going to believe their teeth will move, ohh they do. SO I tell every kid that gets braces off WEAR YOUR RETAINERS learn from my mistakes.

Elle

[BraceFace2o1o]

I hope that isn't the case, otherwise I quit right now! ... I haven't got £3000 to waste just for the sake of it.

But, saying that... I thought retainers are meant to retain your teeth pretty well. I think people who have relapse maybe stopped wearing their retainers all together or didn't wear them as prescribed by their Ortho.

If my Ortho told me at my consultation that my teeth will deffo shift back even with retainers, I would have definitely NOT gone ahead with braces.

[lu lu]

OMG I hope this isn't the case!!!!!!!

I believe too it's because people don't look after them afterwards. They don't bother with their retainers. I guess it's just lazyness or they don't realise that their teeth WILL move.

I'm having a fixed retainer behind my teeth after treatment. Not sure if it's meant to be there forever or not. Might ask the question. I'm hoping this means my teeth will stay beautiful forever!!

I too haven't got money to waste!! This has cost me enough & I really don't want to go through it all again.

[Olivia]

I had to reply to this one!

As a second timer (now invisalign) I was very concerned with maintaining the results this time around, so I asked my ortho a thousand questions about it and researched more on this than on any paper I've ever written If I'm going to pay big bucks and deal with all the hassle, I want it to last FOREVER!

My ortho told me that she is treating a lot of people in their thirties who had ortho work done as teens...There are two reasons she stated: The first is that it was common " back in the day" (I feel old suddenly) to only treat one arch if the other arch was not crowded and of there were now bite problems...Your teeth move throughout your life, so the arch that isn't retained by a fixed retainer or otherwise, will move and disturb the bite pattern, causing the treated arch to shift as well...fixed retainer or no...This is what happened to me actually...
The second is, and I've seen this in many essays as well, orthodontics have come a long way since the eighties...A lot of people were told to wear their retainers for a year or so and that would be enough...the teeth would be anchored in their new positions...not the case obviously...

Over the years I saw my teeth shift slowly....Not as bad as they once were, but still...after invisalign I'm going with a fixed retainer top and bottom and essix retainers...and retainer check ups!

I get a bit annoyed sometimes when I hear people state that shifting of teeth after braces is only due to people " being lazy" or " not bothered" I thought I had things covered pretty well with the fixed retainer!

[Neya]

Partially due to retainer use and the old thought. My mom had 7 years of ortho work done and wore a retainer for almost a year before losing it. She had a tiny microscopic bit of relapse but you can still tell she has amazingly straight teeth and perfect bite. Lucky her?

Also, I've read retention of open bite cases is hard to maintain. From what I understood open bites have a tendency to relapse more often even with retainers. Im not an orthodontist, take what I say with a grain of salt.

[alimommy1]

I've read that after braces teeth go back to their original position, especially for adults since they are already done growing. What is the point in getting braces if teeth move back?

Also with jaw surgery they use screws or metal plates to keep the bite in tact, is there anything more aggressive than retainers to keep the bite stable after braces?

Results are variable, what I was told is that if your teeth are VERY crooked or rotated or you have big jaw alignment problems before braces, the chances of your teeth trying to shift back is greater, especially the older you are before treatment and good retainer wear. I didn't realize how true it was that your teeth shift throughout your life but they do. I suppose the point would be the difference between going through life with a bad bite and disliking your smile, having tmj problems, or having treatment and perhaps having a little bit of shifting later but nothing so major that it negates having treatment. Personally, my teeth are TONS better than before my first treatment, but I went back to the ortho to see about fixing the shifting. I would never go back and not have braces - I do wish I'd been more conscientious about wearing retainers.

I would warn any current braced person who is getting a permanent retainer to ALSO get a removable of some sort, clear or regular, because I had a permanent retainer and I still had some shifting - yes it was probably after 8 years but it happens. Even if I had just worn it at night I bet that wouldn't have happened.

[bbsadmin]

The only reason your teeth would significantly move after braces is you don't wear a retainer.

If you wear your retainer exactly the way your orthodontists tells you, your teeth will remain straight and in their proper positions.

[UGHBRACES]

This is my hawley retainer. I really can't see how its possible for my teeth to go anywhere with that thing planted firmly in there every night for the rest of my life! I have one on the bottom too..

[meemsie]

I wonder why do our teeth move over time? Is it because of changes to our jaw, or bone, or gums?

[drrick]

Because you are a living organism that ages and changes.

Your facial muscles get tighter and less pliable -- anyone getting wrinkles
Your teeth also have a natural migration forward.

So you have your facial muscles pushing inward & your teeth pushing forward against an arch shaped object with multiple individual pieces. What is going to give? The position of those individual pieces (i.e. the teeth) is what gives.

If you can figure out a way to stop aging your teeth wont move(after 1 year of retainer wear), you wont get wrinkles, your eyesight wont fail, your hearing wont fail, etc.

Your teeth are just one part of a changing organism so every system has to battle the effects of those changes.

[goin4it]

drrick
Very well stated.

And that's why I am told I will be getting a lingual retainer on the botttom when the braces come off.

[seriousthinker]

Hi,

As long as you wear the retainer then I'm sure you have nothng to worry about. I think it's human nature to become a bit slack so I'm going to have to be harsh on myself to make sure I wear mine every day/night or whatever I'm told to do.

We've spent a lot of money, time and effort in getting braces as adults so I think we should be just fine.

ST

[hopeful2011]

This is good for me to know as well. I definitely can't be a slacker when it comes to retainers. I have an overbite so it's disappointing to hear I have a higher incidence of relapse. Oh well. As long as it takes a long time for this relapse I guess I'll be okay.