I'm toying with copying and pasting one of my past posts on this subject.
Before I do though, I'd highly recommend you stick with what you have and not go permanent unless maybe you wear a removable at night as well.
Maybe it was just my dumb-luck, aw heck, here's my previous post:
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This is always the subject that sets me off since I had a woeful experience with a lower (supposedly) permanent bonded retainer. This was my experience, others may have been luckier, so I'll try not to vent too much.
My lower permanent (grrr) came partially unbonded and I did not notice since teeth move slow and it was in the centre. We're not talking crazy bad, but enough relapse on the bottom where I started having some jaw and overbite issues. I see many folks here have bonded/permanent along with essix or even a hawley. I was thrilled to only have to deal with the top hawley, because retainers are a pain, but in the end it was bad. I actually started with hawleys on top and bottom but a friend had a permenent and it seemed like a cool thing to ask for.
I always only half-joked that I'd rather have braces again than deal with retainers... and if there's a positive in this deal, I got my wish.
So after all that, if you go permanent, watch it like a hawk, follow-up now and then with your ortho (I moved way far from where I completed treatment) or see about a combo if your ortho wants to go permanent.
I'd say that's about $.01 worth since I'm nowhere near a pro.
Have a delightful day/night, whatever it is and SMILE!
dennis
