What kinds of retainers are there and what are the best ones?

Answer:
There are the retainers with the colorful acrylic areas and the metal wire that surrounds the teeth. These are good, have been around for a long time, and work. However, if your teeth move too much b/c you missed putting it in for a while they can quickly not fit anymore. There are permanent retainers ( a wire they cement on the backs of your teeth after braces to prevent the teeth from ever moving). However, these type often cause gum disease that can cause enough bone loss over time to cause people to loose their teeth in 10-20 years b/c people with this type of retainer usually are unable to floss. Finally, there are plastic like retainers that are similar to invisalign or mouthguards. These work also, but if your teeth move much you have to bite down hard to force these retainers back on which often causes clenching over time b/c you usually wear them at night and spend all night clenching your teeth together while not realizing your doing it.

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Don't know about the best ones but some of the worse ones are those charged by Solicitors and the like to retain their services.

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