While today may still be what Charles Dickens referred to as “the best of times, the worst of times” it couldn’t be also the “age of wisdom, the age of foolishness” nor the “spring of hope, the winter of despair”. It can only be the age of wisdom or the age of foolishness, the spring of hope or the winter of despair. These days, whatever the age, the season, or the reason, depends mainly on people’s personal choices and how well they have weighed their options. Fortunately, this is a period when the options are well and truly varied, even in orthodontics, and information is free flowing even for like Memotain Retainer Cost.
The following Memotain Retainer prices are estimates only.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
What are orthodontic retainers?
Although in the old days people have not put paid to dental problems, and orthodontics came only at the turn of the 20th century, people only recently realized that investing on a good set of teeth does not only make smiles more beautiful and joyful but it also makes for lesser headaches, and greater confidence. From this realization, a complete set of well-aligned pearly white teeth has become a requirement for good grooming and of good health.
This situation led to a branch in dental practice called orthodontics which deals with differently positioned teeth and jaws, and misaligned bite patterns, their diagnosis, prevention, and correction. Retainers are orthodontic solutions to these problems.
There are two types of these devices based on the material used: metal wires or clear plastic molds, although one may be a combination of both. There are two types based on application: removable and permanent, or fixed, although orthodontists may alternate one with the other.
As a result there are different retainers in the market today. The list includes the Hawley Retainer which is a removable wire retainer, the Removable Essix retainers made of vacuum-formed clear plastic retainers, and there is Memotain Retainer, using computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology, a product of the era of customization in orthodontics. The Memotain Retainer is a bonded type fixed lingual retainer using a CAD/CAM retention wire.
What is the problem with orthodontic retainers?
Most patients who are prescribed retainers complain that their retainers have become ugly and unhygienic, uncomfortable to wear, even painful sometimes because of ill fitting design, and in the case of removable retainers, may not be worn as prescribed because the patient sometimes forget to put them back on at the prescribed schedule.
Removable Retainers can be removed by the patient and reinserted as prescribed. This requires that patient compliance is a must for the successful use of this kind of device.
Memotain Retainer was developed to help solve these problems.
What is Memotain Retainer?
Memotain® is a trademark for a commercially available orthodontic retainer with a specific method of design, manufacture, and use. A Memotain Retainer is a CAD/CAM nickel-titanium lingual retainer designed for more accurate fit.
How Much Does the Treatment Cost?
The treatment is a complete package and adding a Memotain Retainer needs only an additional cost of around 100-200 USD. In Europe, the cost is reportedly 85 Euros.
Estimates for a removable Hawley retainer (made of hard acrylic molded to fit the patient’s mouth plus a visible wire to hold the teeth in position) are given as from 150 to 300 USD with replacements costing from 70 to 250 USD for one set.
The removable Essix retainers, made of vacuum-formed clear plastic typically, may cost 100 to 250 USD or 200 to 500 USD for a set but they have been reported prone to warping or breaking so they may require frequent replacements.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Memotain Retainer
While it is true that removable retainers have been more popular when retainers were found to be a good solution against misalignment of teeth and bite patterns, over the last decades, permanent retainers have gained greater preference over removable ones. Fixed lingual retainers have gained popularity over the years because they required less patient compliance and are effective 24 hours a day, and stable over several years. For these reasons, permanent retention have become the method of choice for correcting orthodontic problems.
The advantage of Memotain Retainer is that it is not only a fixed lingual retainer but it uses CAD/CAM technology in sensing misalignments and uses CAD/CAM retention wires to make sure such misalignments are comfortably treated. The computer aided application eliminates most of the fitting problems encountered in other applications, although orthodontists sometimes find some problems with impression taking. The solution is just proper scanning of the teeth system of the patient or greater proficiency in reading computer generated impressions. Using Memotain Retainer and the special alloy with better shape memory greatly lowers discomfort while increasing stability and effectiveness of the retainer.
The greatest advantage, however, is in maintenance or after sales. The fracture rate of most conventional lingual retainer was determined to be at 10%, Memotain Retainer has a documented fracture rate of only 1%. Even so, some fractures are due to bonding errors but Memotain Retainer has some special bonding instructions that orthodontists can easily follow. This greatly lowers the rate of replacements and the hassle of more dental visits. In addition, it allows good cleaning of tooth and usual dental work in eliminating in removing calculus, when needed.
Who Should Get Memotain Retainer?
It is said that more than 50% of the US population need teeth realignment. The reasons may range from genetic factors to environmental situation people find themselves in such as the kind of diet available. However, there is real need for retainers after orthodontic tooth movement, like after a surgery, because prolonged stabilization of dentition is required. The better question, therefore, is what kind of retainers should be used, permanent or removable?
While removable retainers have been popular because it can be removed at will, its real downside is that the problem of teeth alignment becomes completely dependent on patients’ discipline, attitude, and the quality of the retainer. This often defeats the purpose of installing a retainer or, at the very least, slows down the alignment process.
While all permanent retainers, like Memotain Retainer, are harder to lose, unlike Memotain Retainer, others are vulnerable to breaking.
In making the choice, however, orthodontists must be consulted and their opinions weighed against the patients’ nature and need.
So, how does a Memotain Retainer fare vs. Teeth Aligners?
Just as retainers are often applied after braces, teeth aligners are often applied after retainers. It is a non-invasive technique designed to move the teeth in small increments, after the retainers have fixed them, until the desired position is achieved. They may be designed like removable retainers, usually made of the same materials, but are only used for shorter time, say, 2-4 weeks after the retainers are removed. They are also used for slightly misaligned teeth, ever without retainers. They are, therefore, not of the same category as retainers.
For greater confidence and healthy smiles, ask your dentist about Memotain Retainer, now. Sometimes, life’s joy comes with good-looking teeth.