Lifelong retainers

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#16 Post by **juf_84** » Fri May 26, 2006 8:31 am

Hi!

My ortho straightaway, at the initial consulation, told me there's no way he's sending me off to work in a plate and would bond a retainer to the back of my teeth. I think it was amazing that he understood how self conscious I would feel (although you would think by that time comes I would be used to metal in my mouth!)

I had never heard of this until he mentioned it, maybe it's something you could look into. Not only for the aesthetics but you wouldn't have to remember to wear it as it's always there.

#17 Post by **Jeneva** » Fri May 26, 2006 8:58 am

i can handle having the retainer indefinitely -after all - for the amount of money being spent for these, i want them to stay straight. Plus my husband and i will look great together -him with his sleep apnea machine and me with a mouthful of orthodontia!! The sandman will be overwhelmed with us.

#18 Post by **Flora2006** » Fri May 26, 2006 11:24 pm

i can handle having the retainer indefinitely -after all - for the amount of money being spent for these, i want them to stay straight. .

I'm definitely with you there. I never want to go through braces again so I will wear that retainer perfectly

#19 Post by **swellen** » Sat May 27, 2006 4:22 am

I never want to go through braces again so I will wear that retainer perfectly

Well... you'll probably get a bit lazy about it eventually and skip a night or two here and there. Everyone does. But the good news is that by the time you start getting lazy you're usually at the stage where you only need to wear it 3 - 4 nights per week anyway (18 months - 2 years after braces come off). As long as the laziness is confined to 3 - 4 nights per week wear then it's usually A-OK. (I speak as a 2.5-years-post-braces lazy retainer wearer... although I would never give it up completely.)

#20 Post by **nerdcore** » Sat May 27, 2006 1:10 pm

I had my braces removed when I was 16. I was told to wear my retainers 24/7 for the first six months, then nightly for the next 6 months, and after that I could wear them every other day for a year and I'd be good. Well, by the time I thought I'd "be good" I went off to college and left my retainers at home. After my first semester in college, I went home and tried on the retainers and they didn't fit. My teeth eventually got worse (even worse than before the braces). So here I am, braced again at 25. For me, the novelty of the braces is fun and all, but I really don't want to go in for a third time ten years from now. Once I get these off I plan on wearing my retainers for as long as my mouth can hold on to them. But then again, I may be self-diagnosing me to be one of the bad cases

#21 Post by **LoobyLou** » Sat May 27, 2006 5:13 pm

I wish, when I had braces first time round, that I was told to wear them forever. I had NHS braces the first time round and my ortho said - wait for it - to wear them for 6 weeks full time (I did for 6 months) and then at nite for a while longer. And here I am 2nd time around. However to be honest it wan't done properly back then so I'm getting it done properly now and gonna wear retainers forever if I have to!

#22 Post by **jennandtonic** » Sat May 27, 2006 6:17 pm

My ortho mentioned having to wear them at night for the long haul if I wanted to keep my straight, and at this point I don't mind a bit! Like everyone else has said, I've invested enough money in it that there's no reason for me not to follow treatment to a 'T.'

Besides, wearing a retainer at night is nothing compared to the reward of straight teeth.

#23 Post by **chops** » Tue May 30, 2006 4:26 pm

haha Jeneva, ur hilarious!

-the whole nightly wearing thing isn't so appealing for 20-somehting year old girl like me. I hate the idea of having to wear it every night or every other night, whatever it is, but I know I don't wanna be stuck in braces EVER again (becaseu i really hope this is my last pursuit with orthodontics!!)...but I guess I'll just have to find the humour in it 'cause there's not much else i can do.

#24 Post by **news89** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 11:20 am

I have a permanent retainer which is a small wire bonded to the back of my front teeth. I'm finding this very comfortable to wear and after the first 10 minutes barely notice it there. This will stop my front teeth only from moving, I will be wearing a removable retainer at night that just slips over my teeth to keep the back teeth and my bite aligned.

If you are serious about orthodontic treatment then I would enquire about permanent retainers as they really are much less hassle than the removal ones and are completely invisible to anyone else.

I have to say, having read everyone's replies, Duffle's option seems like the best possible route to take - hassle free and secure.

Has anyone else been recommended/ got permamnent retainers?

#25 Post by **news89** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 11:24 am

My ortho straightaway, at the initial consulation, told me there's no way he's sending me off to work in a plate and would bond a retainer to the back of my teeth. I think it was amazing that he understood how self conscious I would feel (although you would think by that time comes I would be used to metal in my mouth!)

I had never heard of this until he mentioned it, maybe it's something you could look into. Not only for the aesthetics but you wouldn't have to remember to wear it as it's always there.

Oops - juf_84 needs a shout for also mentioning this idea...

#26 Post by **jcdamon3** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 12:02 pm

Maryaten: would the night guard be like an essix? Or would it be in addition to the Hawley. I have the same trouble with bruxism and dealing with it after braces is a must for me. Have you already discussed this with your ortho? My ortho said essix on top and a hawley on the bottom. I assume the essix will prevent the grinding/clenching at night. Although I have heard of people biting through theirs.

#27 Post by **Wyo_Stacy** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 4:51 pm

I was told by one of my oral surgeons (yes, I have two of them) that he will make a guard to wear at night along with my Hawley. He showed me one and it is a lot thicker than an Essix retainer. It is also hard instead of the sports-guard like guards. I had one of those and went almost all the way through it the first night I had it. I am looking forward to that as an extra retainer to make sure nothing moves.