Retainers are dental devices that are made to hold the teeth in place after the surgery or after the patient is done wearing braces. There are 3 types of retainers, Hawley, Essix and Bonded ( fixed retainer).The most popular retainer would be the Hawley Retainer. It has a metal wire wrapped around the teeth to adjust it to the aligned position. The Hawley Retainer is most suited for post-surgery situations.
Coming in second place in the line of popularity would be the vaccum-formed or commonly known as Essix. The Essix retainer is clear and transparent since it's made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It looks similar to the Invisalign braces but the Invisalign braces is not to be used as a retainer.
The last type of retainer would be the fixed retainer. Unlike the 2 types of retainers described above, the Bonded retainer cannot by removed by the patient. Orthodontist prescribe this type of retainer only to patient that is victim to the braces' effects and cannot bite properly. Fixed retainers may lead to tartar build-up or gingivitis due to the difficulty to floss with these retainers in the way.
Okay, that's it for today! Thanks for reading this post, hope you enjoyed it! I'll definitely be adding more info soon!
