Retainers in Albania: Quality Teeth Retainers in Tirana

Clear or transparent retainers are recommended as an after-phase for your teeth straightening treatment. They help your teeth not go back to their old position after the alignment.

What is a teeth retainer?

A retainer is an instrument used to shield the result of treatment. There exist several types of retainers, but each one of them is used for the sole purpose of, as its name says, “retaining” the treatment benefits and preventing teeth from shifting out of alignment and returning to their old or worse placement.

A retainer is commonly considered one of the most important steps of the treatment because it makes sure to keep your smile intact and keep your teeth healthy. Retainer treatments are not only useful but, something enough people don’t talk about is that they are also a way to protect the investment you’ve made in your smile with your previous orthodontic treatment.

What are the benefits of keeping orthodontic retainers?

Even though we have mentioned that retainers can keep your teeth from shifting, fortunately, it isn’t the only advantage they have. Depending on the condition you might have, or not have, your dentist will provide you with suitable retainers, while at the same time presenting you with its benefits:

• Improves your breathing:

This is not a commonly known fact, however, retainers help you with your breathing. This happens because by helping with the alignment of your jaw and straightening your teeth, retainers indirectly affect your breathing and snoring.

• Speech improvement:

Specific retainers can help kids with their speech problems. That is because retainers help with the adjustment of the tongue which as an aftereffect causes speech improvement and correct sounds.

• Prevents diabetes:

This might sound crazy but retainers can decrease the chances of diabetes because it helps you maintain good oral hygiene.

• Effective chewing:

Of course, straight teeth will affect the way you eat, chew, and bite, making the whole process comfortable and easier.

What are the types of teeth retainers?

The two main types of retainers are the following:

Fixed retainers

Also known as permanent retainers stay connected to your teeth thanks to a glue-like bonding agent. To be noted: these retainers cannot be removed by yourself. Seeing as front teeth, be it in the lower or upper jaw, are more sensitive to shifting, fixed retainers are mainly used for them, to keep them from shifting over time.

Removable retainers

Removable retainers are as per their name removable and can be inserted or removed from your mouth. Traditional retainers (Hawley) have a section of wire hooked into plastic. While clear retainers (Essix) are also plastic, they do not have wires. Both of them are custom-made and are fittable for your teeth only.

Hawley retainers:

Their advantage is that they are durable and quite effective. Though they can feel invasive at first and alter even the way you speak in the initial days, it isn’t an effect that lasts long. It goes away once the mouth is used to the retainers.

Clear or “Essix” retainers:

Despite being less durable than Hawley retainers, some patients still prefer them because of their name and their aesthetics. They are clear, molded plastic. Meaning, they aren’t as noticeable and are similar to Invisalign models.