What is the difference between braces and a retainer?
Braces are fixed to the teeth and are therefore not removable. Retainers clip onto the teeth and can be removed for cleaning the teeth and retainer. Braces are considered a “high power” appliance compared to a retainer which would be considered a “low power” appliance. Retainers are limited in the way they can move teeth. Invisalign has been shown to function as a hybrid of both braces and retainers. Although braces are good at tooth extrusion (moving the tooth out of the bone), Invisalign cannot do this well. • What are some of the advantages of a retainer over braces? The first advantage of a retainer over braces is that it is removable. This makes the retainer and the teeth more cleanable. The second advantage is that generally the cost of retainers is less than the cost of braces. This means that if a retainer will do the job, then it is probably the appliance of choice. • What are some of the limitations of retainers? As previously discussed, there are some tooth movements that re
