Our Location:
3 John R St.
Battle Creek, MI 49015
269-968-2880
Find answers and other helpful dental topics in our digital library.
Our Blog:
Archive:
- 2019
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
Tags
- orthodontic treatment (6)
- celebrity smiles (29)
- retainers (1)
- veneers (2)
- oral hygiene (10)
- dental implants (7)
- cosmetic dentistry (7)
- bonding (1)
- teeth wear (1)
- tooth decay (3)
- bad breath (1)
- pediatric dentistry (5)
- teeth whitening (1)
- orthodontics (3)
- braces (5)
- mouthguards (2)
- thumb sucking (1)
- teeth grinding (2)
- bruxism (1)
- sedation dentistry (2)
- pregnancy (2)
- gum disease (5)
- porcelain veneers (5)
- crowns (1)
- tooth pain (3)
- dental care (1)
- smile makeover (2)
- antibiotics (1)
- oral health (4)
- wisdom teeth (1)
- nutrition (2)
- fluoride (1)
- mouthguard (1)
- shingles (1)
- tooth loss (1)
- toothbrush (1)
- toothache (1)
- cleft lip (2)
- cleft palate (2)
- gum recession (2)
- root canal treatment (6)
- retainer (3)
- bone grafting (2)
- clear aligners (1)
- oral surgery (1)
- dental injury (1)
- sports drinks (1)
- pulp capping (1)
- orthognathic surgery (1)
- jaw surgery (1)
- periodontal disease (1)
- sinus surgery (1)
- oral cancer (2)
- tmj disorders (1)
- jaw pain (1)
Categories:
Some moviegoers have been known to crunch popcorn, bite their fingers or grab their neighbor’s hands during the intense scenes of a thriller. But for one fan, the on-screen action in the new superhero film Black Panther led to a different reaction.
Sophia Robb, an 18-year-old Californian, had to make an emergency visit to the orthodontic office because she snapped the steel wire on her retainer while watching a battle scene featuring her Hollywood crush, Michael B. Jordan. Her jaw-clenching mishap went viral and even prompted an unexpected reply from the actor himself!
Meanwhile, Sophia got her retainer fixed pronto—which was exactly the right thing to do. The retention phase is a very important part of orthodontic treatment: If you don’t wear a retainer, the beautiful new smile you’re enjoying could become crooked again. That’s because if the teeth are not held in their new positions, they will naturally begin to drift back into their former locations—and you may have to start treatment all over again…
While it’s much more common to lose a removable retainer than to damage one, it is possible for even sturdy retainers to wear out or break. This includes traditional plastic-and-wire types (also called Hawley retainers), clear plastic retainers that are molded to fit your teeth (sometimes called Essix retainers), and bonded retainers: the kind that consists of a wire that’s permanently attached to the back side of your teeth. So whichever kind you use, do what Sophia did if you feel that anything is amiss—have it looked at right away!
When Black Panther co-star Michael B. Jordan heard about the retainer mishap, he sent a message to the teen: “Since I feel partly responsible for breaking your retainers let me know if I can replace them.” His young fan was grateful for the offer—but even more thrilled to have a celebrity twitter follower.
If you have questions about orthodontic retainers, please contact our office or schedule a consultation. You can read more in the Dear Doctor magazine articles “The Importance of Orthodontic Retainers” and “Bonded Retainers.”