What Happens If You Stop Wearing Retainers? | Teeth Shifting Explained

If you stop wearing retainers, your teeth will gradually shift back toward their original positions. This is called orthodontic relapse and is extremely common.

Teeth are held in place by ligaments that continuously remodel throughout life. Without retainers, natural forces from chewing, tongue pressure, and aging slowly move teeth.

At Beyond Braces Orthodontics, many patients from Garland and Sachse return years after treatment noticing crowding or spacing changes due to inconsistent retainer wear.

Minor relapse may sometimes be corrected with short aligner therapy, but more significant movement often requires full orthodontic retreatment.

For this reason, most orthodontists recommend long-term nighttime retainer wear indefinitely.

If you need new retainers, or are considering treatment, you can schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Han, a board-certified orthodontist at Beyond Braces Orthodontics. The office is located at 5120 S State Hwy 78, Suite 800, Sachse, TX 75048, serving patients from Garland, Sachse, and nearby communities.

Call or text (972) 928-9477 or book online here: https://tinyurl.com/beyondbraces