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Life After Braces

Home » Orthodontics » Life After Braces

The benefits of orthodontic treatment will last a lifetime if you keep these important patient responsibilities in mind:

Dental Examinations and Cleanings

The patient should continue with proper oral hygiene procedures at home, to include thorough brushing and flossing techniques. The patient should be seen by his or her family dentist at least every six months for cleaning and dental examinations.

Removable Retainers

Once the active orthodontic appliances are removed, the patient will receive retainers to stabilize the dental correction. Because the bone and soft tissues surrounding the teeth are stabilizing for several months after braces are removed, the retainers must be worn as instructed. Failure to wear the retainers may result in undesirable movement of the teeth, which could necessitate re-treatment.

How Retainers are Worn

Because teeth can continue to move throughout life, we feel that individuals who have undergone orthodontic therapy should wear retainers indefinitely. A patient should wear retainers all the time for one year following the removal of braces. After one year, the patient can wear the retainer just at night. This is to allow the wisdom teeth to develop without ruining the patient’s beautiful smile. (Dr. Dressler will see you every six to nine months to make recommendations on the wisdom teeth and an X-ray will be taken every one and a half years.) Once the wisdom teeth have been decided on, wear your retainer at least one night per week. This is because, as you get older, the muscles that surround your teeth will get tighter and place pressure on your teeth, causing them to move or crowd.

How to Care for Retainers

Retainers are made of a thermoplastic material that is sensitive to excessive heat, so they should be kept away from heaters, dishwashers, car dashboards, or any place where the temperatures exceed 115 degrees (Fº). Retainers should be kept in the proper retainer case when they are not in the patient’s mouth. They should also be kept away from any family pets, as they like to chew on them. Retainers should be cleaned before and after placement in the mouth. Because the material used for fabrication is slightly porous, plaque tends to cling to the surfaces. Gentle scrubbing with a toothbrush and a mild liquid soap will remove the plaque. A denture cleaning solution, such as Efferdent, will aid in the removal of plaque and tartar. Be sure to rinse the retainers thoroughly after cleaning to remove any cleanser residue.

Because retainers are worn for years, they will need periodic replacement. The initial set retainers will be guaranteed for one year against breakage or excessive wear. However, if the retainers are lost or damaged due to neglect, there will be a charge for replacement. If the retainers become loose or break, contact our office immediately.

Fixed Retainers (Bonded Wire)

This wire should stay on forever. The only exception is if your family dentist says you are not keeping it clean and it is beginning to cause gum or bone problems. If this should occur, please have the wire removed and replace it with a removable retainer. The removable retainer should then be worn as Dr. Dressler will prescribe. The fixed wire will protect the teeth as the patient gets older and your facial muscles get tighter. Please have this wire monitored by your family dentist at your six-month check-ups.

Habits or Conditions that Require Stronger Retention:

  • Mouth breathing
  • Clenching and/or grinding of teeth (muscle hyperactivity)
  • Tongue thrusting, low tongue posture or abnormal tongue posture
  • Playing musical instruments with a reed
  • Lip sucking
  • Pen or pencil biting
  • Spacing between the teeth before treatment
  • Severely rotated teeth

Our goal is to help your smile stay beautiful and healthy for a lifetime. Your cooperation is essential to achieve this goal.

Free Consultation

Please fill out the information below, and one of our team members will contact you to schedule an appointment time. We look forward to seeing you soon.
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Chattanooga
  • 6820 Lee Hwy
    Chattanooga, TN 37421
  • (423) 894-6318
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South Pittsburg
  • 1904 S Cedar Ave
    South Pittsburg, TN 37380
  • (423) 894-6318
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What Our Patients Are Saying

Brianna S.
Literally had the best experience! Couldn’t ask for a better orthodontist.
Anna A.
Came in because I ate a chip and messed up my retainer. Dr Dressler’s and his assistants were amazing!!!! Shout out the girls in the back. Highly recommend this place! Thank you guys! 💕
Shoey R.
If I was to recommend anyone to get braces, I would tell them to come here! Love this crew and Dr. Dressler… also teeth came out amazing!
Kelly C.
Dr. Dresslers office is awesome, my Daugther’s braces were done by them and they did wonderful! My son just had his put on and I’m sure the results will be just as great! Highly recommend!
Mary B.
Wonderful group of people. Everyone was really nice and helpful. The place is very nice and clean.
Laura J.
The staff is super nice, they are very flexible with you if something happens. They get you in right away. We have had nothing but great experiences there.
Robert B.
This is our second child getting braces here and they are phenomenal again! Staff is always great! Dr Dressler really knows his stuff. He is quite funny as well. My kids love them! Well worth the money!
Sarah P.
Dr. Dressler and all of his staff are wonderful! Both my girls are current patients and we could not be happier with the service provided by Dressler Orthodontics.
Stephanie P.
This is our 2nd child added to Dr Dresser's office. We received a generous discount for having multiple children in braces thru his practice. At any time we were having problems making monthly payments we just had to call and they worked with whatever was best for us. I truly have never had a better experience with any medical or dental practices than with Dr Dresslers.
The S.
We immediately felt very welcomed by their staff. Dr. Dressler took the time to explain in detail what to expect over the next 2 years of this journey and quickly got us in for her appointment to put on her braces. An area where they truly excelled was their office manager took the time to call our insurance company and obtain all of the information including their her actual policy information since we had just changed companies and didn’t have the cards yet. She had in minutes what could’ve taken weeks potentially!! We also had established an expense account to go towards health costs and she helped us track that down with the utmost patience and diligence. I love the sense of family amongst the staff, and their office is very clean and love that they diffuse yummy smelling essential oils vs harsh scents; so being someone who’s very sensitive to chemicals, this made a good impression. My daughter loves her braces, ands they got us in immediately when we needed a quick repair . I know we made the right decision going with Dresslers office, and not knowing where to start, since we are brand new to the area and knew no one. A true gem and win!
Andrea G.
Being a prior patient with a “Dressler Smile”, I only wanted the best when it comes to my son. If excellent care by Dr Dressler and his staff wasn’t enough of a reason to come see him, the convenience of being able to text pictures of my sons teeth, and receive a quote on braces, check my insurance, schedule an appt, all on my lunch break at work would be my next reason to go here. 1st visit we were in and out with braces! It seems I never remember that I need to call and make an appt until I am at work which is inconvenient time to call, then try and look at my schedule, this takes out all of that hassle and puts my life back in my hands.
Hannah F.
Dr Dressler & staff are fantastic! We never have to wait long either, the staff is quick to respond if we need help after hours. This is our 3 set of braces (third patient) with in our household he has done!
Cannon W.
Everyone at Dr. Dressler’s office was amazing! Very clear with plans, instructions, and information. I’m so glad we chose them! My son really liked Bria. She was great with him, she’s awesome! Dr. Dressler took his time and explained the needs and what he looked to happen in the future.
Josslyn K.
Great place! Wonderful staff. They took my very shy and anxious kid and made her experience one that she raved about. Keep up the great work.
Marionnth “Maudi” D.
Dr. Dressier and his staff are amazing. My daughters felt comfortable and they guided us through the whole process.
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