Retainers play an essential role in orthodontic treatment, which is adopted after removing braces or Invisalign treatment. They help in holding your teeth in the proper position to retain the treatment. Your teeth have natural flexibility to get into shape during treatment and become in aligned directions. This all is done in orthodontic treatment; what retainers do is to sustain this treatment and prevent your teeth from misallocating.
However, a survey was conducted on numerous orthodontists in which they were asked which kind of retainers they often prescribe to their patients; fixed retainers vs removable retainers. A majority of them agreed with removal ones. The orthodontists who supported removable were 58.2% and 41.8% were the rest of them.
The results were closer, though, but it was just a sort of vote; these orthodontists were not asked about their uphill and downsides. So, how can you decide which one’s right for you?
Luckily, I am here to discuss an inclusive comparison between fixed vs removable retainers, their pros, cons, and which one you should opt for.
Fixed Retainers
Fixed retainers are also known as permanent retainers, which comprise a metal wire then are fixed with your teeth via glue. The wire could be solid, smooth, or in an interwoven texture. Besides, these retainers are made with stainless steel material, but it is not at all visible when you are smiling or talking.
Fixed Retainers Pros
Although many orthodontists prefer removable retainers, permanent retainers also provide various benefits, which are discussed below:
✅ With a fixed retainer, the huge benefit is that you can never misplace your retainers because they are always in your mouth. Unlike removable retainers, you cannot remove your retainers, keep them somewhere, and forget where you kept them.
✅ Moreover, permanent retainers usually are not visible on your teeth, so you should not worry about the wire’s visibility while smiling or talking.
✅ Due to its fixed element, you cannot fall off your retainers, and there is the slightest chance of cracking or breaking of retainers.
✅ Permanent retainers are fixed to the back of your teeth, which helps in improving your lingual side.
Fixed Retainers Cons
By going through some negative sides of fixed retainers, you may identify why many orthodontists prefer removable retainers over fixed ones.
❌ The fixed retainer contains a metal wire which is lined with your tongue, so it could be highly irritating, and you may get bleeding gums.
❌ Because of its permanent fixture, you may encounter difficulty in oral hygiene. The fixed retainer can easily cause tartar and plaque formation, which could be very hard to floss and clean your retainers as compared to removable retainers.
❌ You must be conscious of eating hard and crunchy food with fixed wires because they can easily break the fragile wires, and your retainers can come out. In this case, you need to rush to your orthodontists to prevent your teeth from moving. You might have to replace your retainers as well.
If you are very easy to keep things and forget or misplace them, then the fixed retainers are the perfect option for you. Now that you have looked through the pros and cons of permanent retainers, it totally depends upon you to decide to get a permanent solution to keep your teeth aligned.
Removable Retainers
As its name symbolizes, it is a removable retainer that can be easily worn off while eating, drinking, brushing, or flossing your teeth. These retainers are made with transparent plastic material, which is not noticeable whether you have worn anything or not.
Removable Retainers Pros
Removable retainers are considered to be more flexible and convenient for many patients; that’s why many dental experts prefer these types of retainers.
✅ Removable retainers help in guarding your retainers against tooth coating and prevent them from crushing.
✅ Besides, by removing your retainers, you can effortlessly brush and floss your teeth.
✅ Removable retainers offer more elasticity while wearing or removing retainers.
✅ Further, you can take them out with removable retainers and whiten them to match your natural teeth.
✅ These retainers also act as a protector to your sensitive teeth and teeth crowns.
✅ You won’t feel any sort of irritation with great flexibility, unlike permanent retainers, because there is no wire attached.
✅ Removable retainers do not contain wires which may cause irritation, but they are made with clear and soft plastic material, which makes them super soft and convenient.
Removable Retainers Cons
You must be thinking that a removable retainer provides numerous benefits to your teeth, but you might be unaware of its downsides which are mentioned below:
❌ When you remove your retainers, you may forget where you kept them, and eventually, you lose them. The ultimate solution would be retainer replacement.
❌ You need to pay a lot of maintenance and care to avoid cracking or breaking because they are made with very fragile plastic material and quickly get damaged.
❌ Although removable retainers do not provide any irritation, you need to oversee them.
❌ If you forget your removable retainer, it can loosen or shift your teeth from their original alignment, for which you again need orthodontic treatment.
Since removable retainers also carry some positive and negative sides, they are less damageable or irritating than the fixed retainers. So which one have you decided on?
Which One is Right for You?
Between fixed retainer vs removable retainer, the decision relies upon the texture and treatment of your teeth. Different retainers are used for various purposes, but many orthodontists have pronounced that removable retainers are far better than permanent retainers, which not only align your teeth but improves your speech production.
However, the subsequent decision depends upon your preference which you seem more comfortable and durable. Dental retainers are significant to sustain your teeth aligned after removing braces or executing any orthodontic treatment in order to prevent your teeth from shifting or grinding.
If you have just performed any treatment and are looking for any sort of retainer, either permanent or removable, visit IHome Dental and let us deliver high-quality, durable, and comfortable retainers. To take an impression of your teeth, you can also get a self-impression kit for hassle-free imprints of your teeth and discover which retainer suits you.
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