What do you do if your retainer is too tight?

If your retainers feel tight, but not painful, keep wearing them full time over the next few days until they start to feel okay. Hopefully, they will gently nudge your teeth back in line. If your retainers are painful, or you can’t get them to fit over your teeth, don’t force them.

Is it normal for retainers to feel tight?

As long as your retainer doesn’t hurt and still fits over your teeth, you can wear it even if it feels tight. This probably means that your teeth have shifted. In this case, you should wear your retainer longer each day to prevent your teeth from moving further.

Should I keep my retainer in if it hurts?

If discomfort does not go away after regular wear of the retainer, it is best to contact your dental professional. If the pain you are feeling doesn’t feel like “tightness” or pressure, it could be that there is a piece of metal or plastic in the retainer irritating the gums or cheeks.

Can wearing a tight retainer damage your teeth?

Wearing a retainer that doesn’t fit correctly is not only annoying and unhelpful, but it can also potentially damage the teeth and nearby tissues because it is placing too much pressure on them.

Do retainers loosen over time?

Retainers wear down overtime and grow wider. This is why they can feel loose eventually, even if you have been good about wearing it. The issue here is that you are no longer getting the benefit of wearing the retainer. A loose retainer will not keep your teeth in place.

Why is my retainer so painful?

Your teeth could be moving out of their position naturally or because of a tongue thrust. When you go to put your retainer back in, it may no longer fit appropriately, causing you pain and discomfort. While this can be natural, it could also be a sign of a problem.

Can I not wear my retainer for one day?

If you accidentally forget to wear your removable retainer for a day or two, don’t worry too much. Resume your retainer regimen as instructed, and you should be fine. If it’s been longer than that, such as weeks, or even months, try it on to see if it still fits.

How quickly can teeth shift without a retainer?

Your retainer may feel a bit tighter on your teeth when you place it back in again. Throughout the rest of your retention phase, it’s still possible for your teeth to shift a bit if you go without wearing your retainer for a week.

Why does my retainer hurt when I put it in?

This may be especially true for individuals that only need to wear their retainers at night. As a result of only nightly wear of a retainer, after a few days, if the retainer has been forgotten to be worn whenever it is put back in the retainer may feel sore, tight or even hurt to some extent.

When should I Wear my retainer after braces?

For example, some patients may wear a retainer for the first three months following braces during the night and day. Then, after those three months, the retainer may only need to put their retainer in at nighttime.

Will my teeth align back if I get retainers?

This way your would be assured that everything will be done right. Depending on how much your teeth shifted, there is a small chance they might align back, but you are running a risk of putting to much pressure on them with your retainers and consequently increasing a chance of damaging the nerve inside. Good luck to you!

How long does it take for a retainer to straighten teeth?

If you’re persistent, the teeth should move back into their previous position fairly quickly (often within a few weeks) and the retainer will then fit comfortably. However, in some patients the teeth have changed so much that this “jamming the retainer on” trick doesn’t work and additional treatment is needed to straighten the teeth again.