Sometimes the glue can come off of one tooth in a permanent retainer. While it is called "permanent" mishaps can occur to it. After all, only diamonds last forever right?
We will go over what this condition looks like and also what you should do about it because there are consequences for leaving it as is!
What it looks like
A permanent retainer where the glue comes off one tooth will look like it is missing some composite bonding. The retainer wire may still be closely adhering to the tooth or it could be pulling away from it.
The intraoral photo below shows an example of what it can look like.
As you can see in the photo above, only a single tooth is missing the glue on the retainer. For whatever reason, the composite bonding has melted away or disintegrated completely. There is no more bonding left to hold the retainer wire to the tooth.
Can it be repaired?
Depending on the severity of your debonded permanent retainer, it may be repaired or it may require total replacement.
When it can be repaired: If the retainer wire is intact your dentist may be able to repair it by applying new bonding.
The procedure is painless and does not require any local anesthesia.
It should only take 10-15 minutes at most to repair it!
When it needs total replacement: If the retainer wire is broken or no longer able to be put back in place against the tooth snuggly, it will need to be replaced.
This procedure should be painless and won't require numbing.
Your dentist will need to first remove the retainer and all residual bonding.
Finally they will bond a brand new permanent retainer onto all of the teeth.
You won't know what you need until you come in to see your dentist. Of course, total replacement would cost a lot more than a simple repair.
What to watch out for: To be completely honest, we've had many patients where we repaired the permanent retainer but the fix does not last. In other words, we rebond the wire but then it comes back off again in a few months. If this is the case, you will need total replacement.
Unfortunately there are times if it breaks off once, it just breaks off again much more easily after that.
What if I don't fix it?
If you decide to not fix a permanent retainer where the glue has come off of one tooth, the condition will gradually worsen. There will be a couple of potential adverse outcomes if you leave it alone.
Consequences of no treatment:
Retainer glue debonds more. The glue may have come off just one tooth but the condition can progress and affect more teeth. You may end up with a completely debonded retainer when left alone.
Teeth start to shift. The bonding is meant to hold the retainer in place. Once the glue has melted away, the retainer will no longer be doing its job of retaining the teeth in place. In other words, your teeth can drift and shift.
Retainer can break. When the retainer wire is left to flop around in the mouth without any bonding holding it in place, it will be more prone to breakage.
The intraoral photo above shows an example of a broken permanent retainer. The chances of this happening only increases if the bonding comes off!
Our dentists in Long Island City highly recommend coming in for a dental consultation to discuss treatment options if your permanent retainer glue comes off one tooth. You definitely don't want it to get worse and the teeth end up shifting. If that happens you'll need to redo the orthodontic treatment.
