Your tongue keeps finding a rough edge behind your lower teeth, and one of them seems to be turning. From Burlington, you can have the bonded retainer, your alignment, and your gums checked, then talk through whether to hold the present position or correct it.
A thin wire glued behind the front teeth is easy to forget about. Then one day there is a sharp spot, a bit of food that catches, or a lower tooth sitting slightly forward. Movement away from the alignment earlier treatment produced is called orthodontic relapse, and a bonded retainer does not make it impossible.
Bonds can loosen while the wire stays put, letting a single tooth wander. Teeth and gums also keep changing over the years, and dental work or gum problems may add to the picture. Each of those is worth considering, so an assessment should not jump to one explanation.
From Burlington, it is worth calling before you come so we know a fixed wire is involved and can plan the visit around it. Tell us if you also have a removable retainer, and whether you want the tooth brought back into line or just kept from moving further. Specialist orthodontic input can be discussed when it would add something.
Those details point toward an appliance issue or a change in the teeth and gums. Tell us about soreness or food trapping as well as appearance.
If you wear one alongside the wire, say whether it pinches, rides up, or no longer clicks into place. Mention any cracks or heat damage and any pause in wear. Please avoid forcing it on if it hurts; bring it with you and ask for interim advice.
Point out where you feel roughness, a gap, or a tooth that has turned. A wire that still looks attached can have lost a bond on one tooth. Resist the urge to press it back with a finger or fingernail, and ask for the wire and surrounding teeth to be examined.
Slow movement since your braces ended is still worth reviewing. Tell us about new fillings, crowns, gum care, or a different feel to your bite. Photographs from the end of treatment may help with the history, but the examination today drives the advice.
Sudden shifting with pain, swelling, bleeding, or a tooth that feels very loose is not the same as routine relapse. Call us so the symptom can be properly assessed.
Rebonding or replacing a retainer and repositioning a tooth that has moved are not one job. The assessment should tell you which is being suggested, whether the priority is to hold an acceptable position, solve an appliance problem, or plan realignment, and why that order makes sense.
It is fine if your priorities have changed since your first treatment. Ask what is achievable now, what other routes there are, and what keeping the result would involve over time. A tooth that has moved a little does not commit you to another course.
Patient information: American Association of Orthodontists — movement after orthodontic treatment
Ask which tooth or teeth have shifted and whether the gums or bite need attention. Old records, if you have them, can be compared with today's findings. The explanation should separate what has been seen from what is only suspected.
You may want the turned tooth corrected, or you may only want the wire made secure. Make that clear. Ask what each approach requires and whether holding the current position is appropriate before deciding on an appliance or how much treatment to do.
If the wire kept breaking or a removable retainer was hard to keep up with, say so. Discuss eating habits, cleaning around the wire, and anything else that made retention difficult. Ask who will monitor the retainer afterward and how a future loose bond would be handled.
The depth of the review depends on how much has changed. When booking from Burlington, ask what this visit covers and whether more records or a specialist opinion are likely before a recommendation.
Let us know when your braces or aligners came off, what kind of retention was placed, and when you first felt or saw a change. Bring any removable appliance and records you have. Mention restorations, health changes, or new habits since.
Each bond is checked, along with your alignment, gums, and how your teeth meet. Images or scans may be recommended to understand the shift or plan movement. Ask whether a gum or tooth problem needs care before the orthodontic question is settled.
You will hear what repairing or replacing the retainer would accomplish and whether moving the tooth again is reasonable. For realignment, discuss scope, risks, alternatives, monitoring, and estimate. Involved cases may benefit from a specialist's opinion.
Confirm whether to wear anything before the next visit and what to do if the wire comes looser or something feels sharp. Ask when to expect records, an appliance, or a review. There should be clear guidance for the weeks in between.
Next steps might include rebonding, a new retainer, treatment, or further assessment. Keep the reason for each clear, and tell us if anything changes.
Avoid adjusting the wire or reaching for old aligners in the hope of nudging a tooth back. Ask which appliance suits the current position. If something is set aside because it is damaged, clarify what replaces it and when.
Bring any appliance and mention changes since the assessment. During active treatment, follow the schedule rather than treating it as a casual adjustment. Call soon about a loose bond, a lost attachment, or a poor fit.
Ask how to clean around a fixed wire and how to wear and store any removable retainer. Keep its case where you take it out. Mention future travel or a move now so the arrangement can account for it.
A check can show whether you need retainer repair, a decision about maintenance, or further active treatment.
Book an appointment at our Bronte Street practice to look at movement and retainer problems after earlier orthodontic care. We will explain the findings, answer retention questions, and set out options for further review or treatment.
Recommendations depend on examination and relevant records. A wire that pops free, a sharp end, or a removable retainer that stops fitting all justify an early call.
