Why You Might Need Braces Again

When it comes to having braces, you’ve been there, done that, and are ready to live the rest of your life free of wearing orthodontic appliances in your mouth. However, that may not be the case for you. Every now and then, patients who have already finished orthodontic treatment may need to get a second set of braces later in life. However, some of these reasons are completely avoidable, so being proactive can help you avoid this problem. 

Not Wearing a Retainer

This is hands down the most common reason patients end up needing a second round of braces, and it’s also the most avoidable. Every patient who finishes their time with braces will get a retainer they will need to wear to, well, retain their smile. There are several types of retainers you might get after your time with braces is done, but they all help keep your corrected smile in place. 

Without retainers, you would experience regression, which is when your teeth start to move back towards their original position. Some people simply refuse to wear their retainers against the advice of their orthodontist, which is when patients experience the most dramatic regression. Other times, life happens and you lose your retainer or it breaks somehow. If this happens, contact your orthodontist as soon as possible to get a replacement rather than deciding it’s not worth it, because keeping your straight smile definitely is worth it. 

Unexpected Growth Happened

Many patients get braces when they are young, which is often an ideal time of life to get braces. However, some people will experience unexpected growth and development that alters the shape of their jaws after they have had braces. In these instances, some patients who already had braces in their pre-teen and teenage years may need braces again as adults. 

Injury to the Jaw

Whether it’s due to a car accident, a sporting event that got too physical, or any other incident that damaged your jaw, experiencing a jaw injury may alter your smile to the point where you need braces again. However, jaw injuries don’t have to result from a freak accident or something that happens in one moment. Sometimes jaw injuries happen over time, typically from something like Bruxism, which is when people grind their jaws due to stress. Bruxism over a long period of time can cause teeth to fall out of alignment, resulting in a second set of braces being needed.

If you do end up needing braces again, we have plenty of options for you here at Crescent Orthodontic Specialists. If you catch your regression early enough, you might only need partial braces instead of a full set of braces. You can also choose Invisalign Express or Invisalign Lite for smaller corrections needed due to regression. These options are less expensive than the full Invisalign treatment and take a shorter period of time. 

If you think you might need braces again, feel free to contact Crescent Orthodontic Specialists today to learn more about the options that could be right for you!