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By Mayo Clinic staffOn average, most people wear full braces for one to three years. Retainers may be worn for months, years or indefinitely.
Braces are generally very effective in realigning crooked teeth and correcting improperly positioned jaws. But the person wearing the braces has an important role to play in the ultimate success of the treatment. Care must be taken to follow your orthodontist's instructions precisely, especially during the retention period. When it comes to this final phase, it's important to wear the retainer as directed, or risk losing the benefits gained while wearing the fixed braces.
- Why do people get braces? Academy of General Dentistry. http://www.knowyourteeth.com/print/printpreview.asp?content=article&abc=w&iid=322&aid=1304. Accessed June 11, 2010.
- Braces and retainers. Cleveland Clinic. http://my.clevelandclinic.org/devices/dental_care/hic_braces_and_retainers.aspx. Accessed July 27, 2010.
- Today's orthodontic treatment. American Association of Orthodontists. http://www.braces.org/learn/Straight-teeth-are-healthy-teeth.cfm. Accessed June 11, 2010.
- Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. Orthodontic instructions. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2010.
- Harrison JE, et al. Orthodontic treatment for prominent upper front teeth in children (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007:CD003452.
- Braces and orthodontics. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/2598.aspx. Accessed June 9, 2010.
- What is malocclusion? American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. http://www.aapd.org/publications/brochures/maloccl.asp. Accessed June 10, 2010.
- Littlewood SJ, et al. Retention procedures for stabilising tooth position after treatment with orthodontic braces (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006:CD002283.
- Heasman P. Master Dentistry, Volume Two: Restorative Dentistry, Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Limited; 2008:283.
- Carr AB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 26, 2010.
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