Your Child Finished Ortho: Now What? Preventing Relapse with Healthy Habits

There is nothing quite like seeing your child flash their brand-new smile after finishing orthodontic treatment. After months or years of brackets, wires, or aligners, it feels like the hard part is finally over. But what many families do not realize is that finishing braces is not the finish line. It is the beginning of a new phase, one that is just as important for keeping that smile healthy and stable.

Orthodontic relapse is more common than most people think. Even with regular retainer use, teeth can shift if the underlying muscle patterns that contributed to the crowding or misalignment have not been addressed. That is where healthy oral habits and muscle function come in. They are the invisible forces that support everything your child’s orthodontist worked to achieve.

At our practice, we regularly help families maintain the long-term benefits of orthodontic care by focusing on how the tongue, lips, and jaw muscles function after treatment. If you want to set your child up for lasting success, here is what you need to know.

Why Teeth Shift After Braces

Orthodontists can guide the teeth into better alignment, but they cannot always change the habits and muscle forces that surround the teeth every day. If your child has a low tongue posture, habitually breathes through their mouth, or swallows with a tongue thrust, those patterns can continue to push the teeth out of place over time.

Think of it this way: the tongue, cheeks, and lips are like gentle but constant pressure systems. When they are functioning properly, they help keep the teeth stable. But if they are out of balance, that pressure can slowly undo the progress made during orthodontic care.

Healthy Habits to Watch For

Once orthodontic treatment is complete, it is a good time to evaluate your child’s oral habits. Some questions to consider include:

• Does your child keep their lips closed at rest without effort?

• Is the tongue resting on the roof of the mouth when not speaking or eating?

• Do they breathe quietly through their nose during the day and night?

• Are they able to swallow without their tongue pushing against the teeth?

If the answer to any of these is no, it may be worth exploring further. These patterns often go unnoticed because they feel normal to the child. But just because something is common does not mean it is ideal.

The Role of Myofunctional Therapy

Myofunctional therapy is designed to retrain the muscles of the face, mouth, and airway. It builds awareness and function by helping your child learn how to breathe through the nose, rest the tongue in the right position, and swallow without pushing against the teeth.

This therapy is not just about exercises. It is about building lifelong habits that support oral health, sleep quality, and overall well-being. While it is ideal to start therapy during or before orthodontic treatment, it is never too late to benefit.

In fact, many families in Orange County come to our practice after orthodontic care is complete, looking for that next step to ensure the results last.

---

Your child’s beautiful smile is worth protecting. Orthodontic treatment creates a strong foundation, but long-term stability depends on the daily habits that follow. If you want to make sure your child’s teeth stay where they belong, now is the time to look beyond retainers and consider the function behind the form.

Myofunctional therapy can help support the structure your orthodontist created by addressing the root habits that influence growth, posture, and breathing. It is a smart next step on the journey to a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime.