Final Retention: Post-Treatment Crowding and  Post-Treatment Expectations

I think it would be safe to say that 75 – 80% of all patients experience some relapse or crowding long term, when they stop wearing their retainer(s). Patients always want to know why. So, for the purposes of this blog, here is a sampling of potential causes:

• Insufficient airway
• Mouth breathing
• Tongue position and habits
• Forces created by speech
• Aberrant Swallowing
• Finger habits
• Chewing on pens
• Straight teeth but deficient arch width and/or length
• Extraction treatment
• Severity of the malocclusion prior to treatment
• Bruxing
• Age of patient at time of treatment
• Mesial driving forces of 2^nd and 3^rd molars
• Lack of vertical dimension

The reality is…retention is forever. Educating your patients about this problem early during the course of their orthodontic treatment goes a long way toward maintaining the final results. It is vital that you make it clear to your patients that wearing their retainer is not just something they need to do for a set corrective term, but instead will need to be done as long as they want straight teeth!

Next up:  Options for final retention appliances…and we’re not just talking Hawley.

For a Free Copy of our Comprehensive Guide to Final Retention, Click Here.