What Type of Retainer Should I Use After Closing my 5mm Diastema with Invisalign?

A 5 mm diastema is difficult to keep together in the best of cases.  I like Vivera retainers from Invisalign but would also add a metal retainer at the back of our upper teeth to help keep the space closed.  

If a person is TOTALLY diligent, a clear retainer (similar to the Invisalign aligners) CAN work, but my experience with large gaps being closed is they REALLY want to open back up.  The biggest challenge with a removable retainer is compliance.  

If a small wire is bonded BEHIND the teeth (nobody will see) they tend to stay put.

Retention is a must, meaning wearing a removable retainer for at least a part of each day, usually at night.  As mentioned, a metal or ceramic fixed retainer placed on the back of the front anteriors ensures complaince.  The teeth will only stayed closed as long as a retainer is regularly worn for the rest of your life and hence the fixed retainer on the back of these teeth may be preferred.

With a 5 mm diastema there is a strong relapse potential; even if you wear a clear Invisalign type retainer there will be a tendency for the space to open up if you wear the retainer less than full time.  To prevent this, a small metal bar bonded on the tongue side of the two front teeth is the preferred retainer ... in addition to the clear plastic one worn at night.  One potential problem with this type of retianer is if the lower teeth contact the back side of the upper front teeth in a "deep bite" or "overbite" type of way there may not be any room for the bonded retainer.  Hopefully Invisalign has successfully reduced the overbite so this is not an issue.

I prefer to use the retainers supplied by Invisalign called Vivera Retainers.  They send you four new sets over the course of a year which should be plenty.  Of course, how well they work depends on whether you are diligent in wearing them.  Another option would be to bond a wire on the back of the teeth but you need to make sure there is room to do so when you bite together.  A wire is harder to keep clean but it is there all the time so you don't need to always remember to wear your retainer.