Article
Orthodontic retention holds the teeth in the treated position for the period of time necessary to maintain the result and minimise relapse.1 Relapse can be related to physiological recovery, age-related changes and an unstable final occlusion.2 It is acknowledged that spacing is one of the risk factors for post-treatment relapse. This includes pre-restorative orthodontics, whereby space is redistributed for prosthetic tooth replacements.3 Therefore, it is essential for the retention phase of treatment to be planned and discussed with the patient from the outset.
Adhesive bridges are a recognized long-term solution for the fixed replacement of missing teeth after orthodontic treatment. The fabrication and timely placement of a removable retainer after placement of such bridges can be challenging.
The authors' preferred removable retainer is the clear pressure-formed retainer (PFR), which has some evidence suggesting increased patient preference, cost effectiveness and fewer breakages compared with Hawley retainers.4 There is often a delay between the fitting of the bridges and fitting the replacement retainer, ranging from a few days to a few weeks, which can lead to the risk of unwanted tooth movements.
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