Should I get Invisalign or retainer to correct space between my teeth?

Question

Hi doctor,

I got braces off five years ago and hardly wore my retainer. I have a permanent retainer on two of my front teeth. Now, I have horrible overjet, spacing between canines and two front teeth and crowding on the bottom. Will I need braces? Or can I get Invisalign or even a better retainer? The reason I say a retainer is because before I got my braces, they put me on a retainer to see if that would fix my problem. However, I never wore it as I was in middle school. So, permanent braces were the alternative.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

There seems to have been a significant relapse of orthodontic treatment in the post treatment phase, which is not possible to solve though retainers alone (attachment removed to protect patient identity). Retainers are passive and cannot provide much of tooth movement by activation. Very minor change can happen with that. Also, you will have to keep getting new ones. However, it seems that the problem can be solved by Invisalign (invisible plastic aligner tray) to a large extent. Overjet is significant. Thus, the best option is to visit your nearest orthodontist certified with Invisalign and ask for the same. They can take proper pictures and measurements and show you what changes are possible with Invisalign.