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Retainers are crafted to keep your teeth in that perfect position after you’ve had braces or aligners. Once these treatments are completed your dentist will give you a retainer to wear and you’ll need to continually replace it for the rest of your life. Sometimes, your retainer may stop fitting for various reasons. How to make retainers fit again can be simple but it also may be ineffective. We’re looking at a few solutions on how to make your retainer fit again and why they become tight in the first place.
Let’s discuss the lifespan of a retainer. A retainer is a clear plastic device that is worn typically at night to help keep your teeth in place. The more you wear them, the better you “trick” your teeth into believing that they are in the correct position. When you don’t wear a retainer, your teeth will automatically want to shift back to their natural spots. This phenomenon is known as “elastic memory”. Wearing a retainer will combat this shifting but a retainer will last anywhere from one to two years depending on your daily care for it. Sometimes a retainer will become tight. How to make retainers fit again will be discussed below.
Your retainer can become tight for a variety of reasons. The most common reason for a retainer not fitting is that you’ve stopped wearing it. When you don’t wear your retainer, your teeth may have micro-movements. These movements affect the way your retainer fits and may make it tight. When you have a tough time fitting your retainer onto your teeth you will know that your teeth have begun to shift. If your retainer greatly hurts to wear then immediately take it off and make a dental visit. Your dentist will have a solution on how to shift your teeth back. How to make retainers fit again starts with the molars.
If you want to try and make your retainer fit again, you can start with trimming the molars. Using a curved nail scissor, you can trim the molars off which may provide some relief. Make sure you use an emery board to smooth the surface of the area in which you cut. If the area is rough, it may irritate your gums which can lead to other oral health issues. If you want to make your retainer fit again and have it comfortable, filing away at the rough edges can help.
While this is an option on how to make retainers fit again, there is no true proven method. It may provide relief, but it might not fit perfectly. We encourage all retainer wearers to slowly wear their retainer. What we mean by that is if the retainer is uncomfortable, try wearing it for five minutes and then take it off. Then try for 10 minutes, and then 30 minutes and so forth all while taking breaks in-between. If you force your retainer on you may permanently damage your teeth and nerves. This could result in the need for dental surgery so don’t do this!
You can avoid the need to make your retainer fit again by expanding the lifespan of it. Caring for it is critical and will help keep it tight. Make sure you are giving your retainer daily or weekly cleansings to rid it of bacteria that may be spreading on the material. We have an excellent video on how to properly clean your retainer if you need to refresher course.
How to make retainers fit again isn’t an easy task and it should be considered a last resort. There’s a small trick that may work that involves warm water. Soaking your retainer in warm water may gently loosen the material so you can put it back onto your teeth. If the water is too hot though it may ruin the material so keep that in mind. When your retainer becomes too loose, it won’t prevent your teeth from shifting.
The best way on how to make retainers fit again is to get a new one or a replacement set. SportingSmiles has been crafting premium retainers since 2009 and requires no insurance, no visits, and the entire process can be completed from the comfort of your home.
SportingSmiles will send you our patented impression kit where you will take easy impressions before shipping them back to us with free 3-way shipping. Our professional dental lab will craft your replacement retainers and then ship them back to you, all for typically half the cost of the dentist. These retainers are the same crystal-clear set and premium material that you’d get at a dentist but without the need to leave the comfort of your home. Make your retainers fit again by simply ordering a new pair.