An honest orthodontist must talk to his/her patients about RELAPSE and RETAINERS before making any clinical examination. Relapse is the nightmare of any orthodontist or dentist practicing orthodontics. Therefore, it is our duty and moral obligation to talk to the patient about the stages of the various care and treatments in orthodontics such as the diagnosis, treatment plan, the appliance in the mouth, removing the appliance, a device of retainer for life; A fixed wire from canine to canine at the level of the maxilla and the mandible. If the wire breaks or comes off, clearly, we have a relapse and functional orthodontics is the answer. And that’s why the functions of breathing, chewing, swallowing and phonation must be corrected. Wherefore, the importance of an early treatment that includes these three important elements: prevention, interception and prophylaxis therefore, it is worth mentioning Hippocrates.

For more than 100 years, orthodontists are aware of the two very powerful forces that are constantly working to bring the teeth to their place; From outside, the forces of the lips and cheeks’ muscles and from inside, the forces of the tongue. And that’s why a lingual rehabilitation is important. When the tongue is at rest and in a good physiological position, it doesn’t use any force (without function). So, we go back to Chateau corridor.

In 1967 The worldwide known Professor Delaire, the inventor of the Delaire mask and a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Nantes – France, invited Maryvonne Fournier, a physiotherapist masseuse, to his Department of Orthodontics to develop and teach a method regarding tongue rehabilitation and how to manage the 17 muscles of the tongue, thus to avoid dentomaxillofacial dysmorphosis relapses.

The tongue is the main factor behind the relapses.

I took Professor Delaire’s courses in Paris, and he extensively worked on breathing and ventilation and their impact on the dentomaxillofacial orthopedics.

Using retention appliances, resin appliance, Hawley plate, clear retainers, fixed wire retainers, is not the right solution, but in some cases we are required to do so.

The best and the most stable solution is to educate the tongue and lips.

By using fixed wire retainers, canine to canine, at the top and bottom, “we condemn the teeth to not breath, they are imprisoned because they are tied up” Dr. Benaissa.

Naturally the teeth are separated; it is for the natural balance of the tooth.

Using fixed wire retainers plus extracting the four premolars, is to put the oral cavity and the human body in an unnatural life situation.

I say: “no oxygen for the teeth at the periodontal ligament” Dr. Benaissa.
“Aligning the teeth is easy, this isn’t a problem, the problem is how to keep the teeth aligned in the future without retainer.” Dr. Benaissa.

“If you can’t provide an efficient retainer for a case, don’t treat it” G. Hahn.

“If someone is willing to take my cases when they are completed, assure the retainer and take responsibility for the rest, I’ll be happy to give him half of the fees” C.A Hawley.

“The retainer is the most difficult problem in orthodontics. In fact, it is the problem” A. Oppenheim.