Gap reopens when I remove retainer

[CeramicCynthia]

Hi folks,

I got my braces off a few days ago. A few weeks before I got my braces off, I had one specific gap closed. As it had only been closed a few weeks, I guess it didn't have much time to settle. I wear my Essix retainers 24/7, however, when I remove them, this gap reopens after an hour or so. Is it normal for a gap to reopen so quickly? Will it settle down after a few months of 24/7 retainer wear?

My ortho doesn't seem to think it's a big deal but it would bug the hell out of me if this gap never properly closes, as small as it is.

[djspeece]

Does it open to its pre-braces gap, or just begin to open up? I have heard so much about the "memory" of the connective tissue that holds our teeth in place -- and after 5 years of being debraced, my retainers are still a bit tight for a few minutes when I put them in at night. Like you, I was on the 24/7 schedule for the early going. Things have stayed fairly stable, but I seem to notice that my small premolar gap tends to reappear over the course of the day. Since it isn't visible, it is not a big deal to me. The teeth just want to go back to their "Good old days," it seems. Best of luck. Hopefully your religious use of your retainers will help fatigue the connective tissue, at least to some extent, so that gap does not recur. Best of luck to you.

[CeramicCynthia]

Does it open to its pre-braces gap, or just begin to open up? I have heard so much about the "memory" of the connective tissue that holds our teeth in place -- and after 5 years of being debraced, my retainers are still a bit tight for a few minutes when I put them in at night. Like you, I was on the 24/7 schedule for the early going. Things have stayed fairly stable, but I seem to notice that my small premolar gap tends to reappear over the course of the day. Since it isn't visible, it is not a big deal to me. The teeth just want to go back to their "Good old days," it seems. Best of luck. Hopefully your religious use of your retainers will help fatigue the connective tissue, at least to some extent, so that gap does not recur. Best of luck to you.

Thank you. It reopens to it's pre-braces size, which is about 1mm max. My ortho only closed it in the first place, at the final adjustment, because I told him I wouldn't be happy still having it. He has told me now that the best option is to get some bonding on it because that's the only way it will stay closed. It sounds like this is the right option if you are still experiencing similar with your tooth after 5 years of being debraced! That gives me great comfort to know that bonding is the right decision. I just hope my dentist doesn't tell me it's too small to bond. Thanks so much for your reply.

[djspeece]

You are very welcome! Sounds like you have a good plan. I suspect the dentist's concern will be only that the bonding may need to be repeated at certain intervals due to the stresses of chewing, etc. but I think they can bond most any size. Best of luck to you!