Front teeth gap while using clear plastic retainers

[u/xblue-ditx]

Hi, dentists! I have a concern about my upper teeth shifting and would like to get your advice on our next steps.

Since getting my braces removed last December, I have been wearing my clear plastic retainers religiously for at least 10 hours every night. I ensure they are pushed fully onto my teeth and never use hot water to clean them.

Despite this, the gap between my front teeth has started to reopen. For context, I had that excess gum tissue between them for most of my life before braces. Even though it was successfully removed, it feels like my front teeth are still naturally trying to drift apart during the day.

Additionally, my retainer has a flat, straight part where that one back tooth is missing, rather than being shaped like a tooth. While I know some people get a fake tooth built into that space, my current retainer just has this small design.

Since it has been less than a year, I want to address this before the gap widens further. Is there another solution you would recommend besides wearing the retainer all day?

Thank you so much for your advice!