Should I Wear My Retainer If It Hurts?

By: Your One and Only, Online Dental Expert - Writer, Mr. Efrain E. Silva!

Retainers —- if they don’t fit easily and comfortably, then they don’t fit at all. Don’t wear them if they happen to hurt too much. And only you can decide what class, not to mention extreme, of pain, is actually too much to be tolerated. If you start to get head – aches, for instance, then it can come down to the root issue of forcing yourself to wear something that is way too tight…. get rid of the retainer, in that case, and go with something new that is a proper type of fit. Have your dentist measure you and fit you through a fitting or adjustment. Have him or her make you a special prescription molding that will be suitable just for where you are at right now…. your teeth need something for the here and now. They shift with time and need to stay current with their ideal aligning / retention in space and size, all in all. That is what the retainer is meant to do, when it is doing its job the right way, of course, and not hurting you beyond belief ( one that is visibly way too tight instead ) ….

If you start to sense a slight hurt, and something perhaps just minimal, when you wear the same retainer you’ve been wearing for less than 2 years, for instance, then it just might be a good sign. Your teeth might be adjusting to the positive work of the retainer and being forced to retain themselves right where they’re held and not shift further out of place…. and this type of minimal pain goes away very shortly, in many cases, within the week. So that is not something to be worried about ; in fact, in this case, when these are your only symptoms, then the worst thing that you could do, at this point, would be to take the retainers out entirely and stop using them. No, no, no. Continue the usage.

But in all cases, consult your ortho specialist. Your dentist, too, will know what to do. They need to have a closer look at the spacing, the position of the teeth, and of course, your level of pain experienced. They can give you the final, confirmed say on whether you should still use the same retainer or not.

You can also take your retainer out and inspect it for just a moment. See if there are some big cracks or gaps in it, if it has changed in its shape, size, or look, in any other form. If it has, then this may mean the retainer has broken or come to the end of its life, and having it in there is also affecting the new direction of the teeth…. and the process, all in all. Watch out for that. You’d need to see your professional right away, as well, then!