Orthodontic post-treatment retainers: fixed vs. removable. Literature Review

Abstract

An orthodontic treatment cannot be considered successful if it does not maintain stability over the years. To achieve this stability, it is necessary to overcome the elastic recoil of the periodontal support fibers and give way to alveolar bone remodeling. For this reason, the application of post-treatment retainers has been required to preserve the results obtained. In general terms, there are currently two types of retainers, fixed and removable. Several studies show a lack of high-quality evidence for comparison of retention methods. For this reason, the present article was carried out with the objective of carrying out a literature review that allows the comparison of the adverse effects and effectiveness between fixed and removable retainers used after orthodontic treatments. It was necessary to organize an advanced search in the Pubmed and Science Direct databases and apply inclusion and exclusion criteria to collect the required information. 273 articles were obtained, of which 7 met the conditions considered by the authors. In conclusion, although all retainers, whether fixed or removable, help maintain stability after orthodontic treatment, both types have different adverse effects on patients.

Keywords: Orthodontic retainers, classification, /adverse effects, /therapeutic use.