Both of my clear retainers are broken in half. I have had it like that for a month - just wondering if it will affect my teeth

As far as a permanent retainer, your dentist was likely referring to a small wire that gets bonded to the backside of the upper and/or lower front teeth. This wire can only be put on the front 6 teeth, and the wire only retains what it's bonded to. So, if you have only a permanent retainer, your back teeth on left and the right will most likely shift back to original position. In any case where we deliver a fixed retainer, we always provide a removable retainer (usually a clear plastic retainer that fits over the teeth) to hold the posterior teeth in position. If your teeth have started to shift back and you need a retainer, it is possible the dentist may try to reposition your teeth, but that would be up to you and to your dentist. If you keep having issues with a retainer breaking, your dentist should find out WHY the retainer keeps failing and then try to explore other types of retainers. Hope this helps

My suggestion is to go back and visit your orthodontist as soon as possible. You have just invested a lot of your time and money into having a beautiful smile. The best way to protect your investment, is wearing a removable retainer every night. I tell my patients "night time for a lifetime".

Thank you for asking this very important question.  You definitely want to continue wearing retainers because your teeth do shift throughout life.  In order to guarantee that your teeth will not shift over time, retainers are your best option.  Permanent retainers are great, but it is still recommended that you wear removable retainers while you are sleeping.  I hope this helps!Kind regards,Dr. Jennifer Stachel

Retainers are designed to hold your teeth in the position they are in when the braces come off. Just as the rest of our body is changing throughout our lives, our teeth always have a tendency to move. Wearing the retainers prevents this from happening.If you put a fixed retainer on the top front 4 teeth, it will hold those in place and they should not move. The rest of the teeth would not have any kind of retainer on them -- this means that they may shift over time. My suggestion for this would be to place a fixed retainer on the front 4 teeth and then a clear retainer over that. If you are happy with the position of your teeth right now, you can get a new set of retainers made without needing braces. If any of the teeth have moved and you want them to move back, this may require braces and then a new set of retainers. If it happens to break again in the future, go right away to get a new one so the teeth don't shift Hope this helps!

Not wearing retainers can cause your teeth to move back to where they were before orthodontic treatment.   Lifetime retention is usually recommended after any orthodontic treatment. 

Hello, Thanks for your question. Retainers are the best insurance against your teeth moving. Why risk loosing all your investment in money , time and pain. Geta  new set of retainers ASAP and have peace of mind having beautiful straight teeth.Thanks again!