Can I Straighten my Tooth with a Retainer?

Hi everyone. This is Dr. Robert Holland from Castleton Orthodontics writing today about using retainer to correct minor rotations in your teeth. A very common request I get from my patients in the Indianapolis area is to get a retainer that can correct a rotated tooth. Whether you’ve had braces before and lost your retainer or whether you’ve had straight teeth your whole life, no one likes when their teeth start to move…

It seems like a no-brainer that maybe a tight retainer can realign your crooked tooth. And for some people, this is true! A Hawley retainer with a finger spring (shown below) is a great and affordable way to correct a single tooth that has rotated.

But what about when more than one tooth is rotated, or there is not enough space to align your tooth? Sometimes, the right treatment option for you is a limited clear aligner treatment. Rather than undergoing a full orthodontic treatment with clear aligners, your orthodontist can focus on just a couple teeth to realign with a short course of clear aligners. This recaptures your beautiful smile without breaking the bank!