Why you should be wearing your retainer for the rest of your life

Did you once have braces? Do you have braces now? Well, it's time to listen up.

Remember that feeling of FINALLY getting your braces off, three hard years of wearing "train tracks" in order to give you the straight smile of your dreams?? Well, if you're like me, then that feeling is most definitely a memory. Long gone are those straight teeth and all because of one simple error... I stopped wearing my retainer. Yes, according to the experts that piece of plastic is actually meant to be worn for the rest of your life and not just a couple months post brace face. The British Orthodontic Society now states that braces, in fact, should be worn forever to stop your teeth from returning to their once wonky state. According to the experts, your teeth actually have a memory and begin to slip back into their pre-teen state over time. Research found that approximately 70 percent of patients who had braces for one or two years need treatment ten years later. The study also highlights that people who don't wear their retainer at least couple of times per week will not have straight teeth a decade later. Consultant orthodontist Simon Littlewood told the MailOnline that: "In the past, we used to think that once patients reached a certain age, their teeth would eventually be stable – now we know that’s not true, there is potential for teeth to keep moving throughout life – it’s almost like a normal ageing phenomenon." All of which ultimately means, a load of us are going to have to get braces back on AGAIN in another few years. Delightful.