Use of retention in orthodontics, is it necessary? Literature review

Abstract

One of the main goals at the end of orthodontic treatment is occlusal stability, but changes after bracket removal may be unavoidable. Retention is one of the problems that orthodontists are most concerned about, as the protocol to be followed is not defined, and the devices used for this purpose require the patient's collaboration. For the literature review, a search was carried out in the following electronic databases: Pubmed, Lilacs, Springer, Google Scholar, Chocrane Library. The keywords used were: retention, post orthodontics, orthodontics, containment. The search was restricted to articles in English, Spanish and Portuguese published since 2012. A literature review of 113 articles was carried out of which 50 articles from Pubmed, Lilacs 21, Springer 6, Google Scholar 23, Cochrane Library 13. After applying the inclusion criteria, a total of 16 articles were obtained and reviewed. It was concluded that the use of retainers (in general) post orthodontics does not guarantee that relapse will occur in the medium or long term; likewise, the adequate use of retainers by the patient prevents the percentage of relapse from increasing. The fixed mandibular retainer has better acceptance and adaptation and the use of informed consent at the time of starting orthodontic treatment allows the professional to explain the consequences of a possible relapse.