Without pictures or an actual evaluation it is difficult to say whether or not wearing your current retainer will shift your tooth/teeth back into place. It is best to schedule an orthodontic visit with your original orthodontist, if possible, or a local orthodontist to evaluate the alignment of your teeth. Orthodontists can tell relatively quickly whether or not your original retainer will be able to achieve what you want. Sometimes a new retainer with special springs/attachments may need to be made achieve the corrections. Other times it may be necessary to retreat your misalignment with braces or Invisalign the treatment.
This is a question that is asked often in my practice. There is no question that ceramic brackets (braces) provide a huge esthetic advantage to patients during their time in orthodontic treatment. Sometimes this factor alone, may determine whether or not patients choose orthodontic treatment with braces. I currently have 4 or my own staff members in braces and they all have clear ceramic braces on their upper teeth. In fact, I would choose clear braces for myself if I were going through treatment at my age. Technically, there is no real clinical treatment advantage with ceramic braces. In fact, most ceramic braces, are in many ways inferior to metal braces during orthodontic treatment. Ceramic brackets are essentially made of glass and are brittle in comparison to metal braces. Ceramic brackets have multiple types of fabrication. However, in general, they are easier to break or chip during treatment and during the removal process at the end of treatment. Ceramic braces DO NOT necessarily cause more damage to teeth. Removal of a chipped bracket may be more uncomfortable for the patient, but if the orthodontist is careful it's removal can be just as safe as metal braces. Metal is a relatively slick surface compared to ceramic. Thus metal wires sliding through metal brackets are extremely efficient in the early stages of orthodontic treatment. On the contrary, a microscopic view of ceramic reveals a very rough surface. This makes orthodontic wires sliding through ceramic brackets a less efficient process.Those are some general ideas an orthodontist may consider when offering ceramic braces versus metal braces for a patient. If esthetic concerns on the "appearance" of braces outweigh the increased possibility of breaking a bracket and/or slight decrease in efficiency during treatment, then ceramic braces are a primary option. If esthetics during treatment is not a primary concern metal braces are should be considered.
