Metal Mouth Message Board

Just got one installed last week on the bottoms. Surprisingly comfortable. Not anything like the horror stories read here --- though suspect there are a lot of drama queens about everything in this process orthodontics . Believe it is white gold very very thin or flat and also very loose before application like a slinky. Totally conforms to the nooks and cranies of the teeth if they're not all equal thickness, glue's feathered up and down all over it so when you run your tongue it almost (almost) feels like nothing there -- very smooth. Doesn't look or feel like what others have complained about. No complaints since installation and within a few hours you forget about it.

Cleaning, key is the plastic small proxies:

GUM® Soft-Picks

https://cart.jbutler.com/store.php?crn= ... how_detail

Can't see the 6 teeth moving if they're bolted on properly, same glue as the bracket glue. 6 teeth are anchored for life.

Takako wrote:

thisisme wrote:

Takako wrote:Pleh. I respect your rigt to want bonded retainers, but I would never want them. I want to be able to floss after this is all done! That's one of the reasons I got braces: my teeth were squeezed so tightly together I actually could not floss some of them, nor could my dentist! Why would I want to permanently glue something to my teeth that would prevent that?

I prefer straight teeth that NEVER get the chance to move over a little flossing.

But as someone above said, a bonded retainer does not guarantee your teeth won't move.

It does if it's in there properly.

thisisme wrote:

Takako wrote:

thisisme wrote: I prefer straight teeth that NEVER get the chance to move over a little flossing.

But as someone above said, a bonded retainer does not guarantee your teeth won't move.

It does if it's in there properly.

Not sure if that's right from what I've read, there are lots of forces that could come into play, pregnancy, sucking on pens etc etc. And something to do with bone density as you age I read about but can't remember.

Also if that were the case, my ortho wouldnt be insisting on me having vacuum retainers (for 6-12 months) on top of my bonded retainers (for as long as I am prepared to have them/forever).

She recently said that not all bonded retainers are equal, for example for her own she only has a handful of other orthos she would have gone to.

To the OP - you know you don't have to have your retainers with your ortho. If he's not keen on bonded retainers, then it may not be the best person to insist on having bonded retainers with. If you're near London, PM me for details of mine, I think she sometimes does retainers onlyl

Another factor to consider is the convenience of a permanent retainer. I have an essix retainer on my top teeth (my bottom teeth have metal braces) and I HATE IT because it's so inconvenient! Every time I want to have something to eat or drink, other than water, I have to take it out, then brush my teeth, and put it back in. Doesn't sound too bad until you just want a cup of coffee or tea and have to decide if it's worth it to take out the retainer, etc., and worry about it being out of your mouth too long. I'm not so worried about my top teeth moving if I don't have the retainer in, because they are actually in very good shape (I'm actually not sure why I even have the Essix retainer on top), but I definitely want the permanent retainer for my bottom teeth. The bottom teeth are the reason I got braces (for the second time, 30 years later), and I'm not going to take the chance of them shifting or feeling guilty if I want to have a cup of tea. I'll gladly spend the extra few minutes each day to floss with a permanent retainer.

I don't have any input about fixed vs. removable retainers...just a question.

My ortho uses fixed on the bottom, removable on top. If he places a fixed on the bottom am I going to have to use floss threaders for the rest of my life? I was a much better flosser before I had all this "gear" to deal with. Now I HATE to floss because of the time and effort involved. I've gone from flossing daily to a couple times a week. I thought this was temporary while I'm in braces - never dreamed it might continue indefinately.

If a fixed retainer is going to cause flossing issues, would I be better off to try to get my ortho to do removable retainers both upper and lower?

I will be having fixed retainers on both top and bottoms and also Hawley retainers for both top and bottom. I have the option of purchasing Essex styles retainers for $100 more if i decide i want those also.

thanks for the replys guys...in in northern ireland so thank u anyway for the offer of an ortho who fits permanent retainers. A band has come off this week so i have to call tomorrow for an appointment and ill talk to him then...ill let u all know the outcome when i see him thanks again guys!

My ortho is the same, I requested bonded top and bottom and he gave me hawley's instead which I really don't like.

His reasoning was the top bonded ones will break alot, and the bottom bonded doesn't suit my case. I think some ortho's are just used to one way and they refuse to deviate.

My ortho prefers a hawley retainer for the top and a permanent retainer on the bottom. After I searched and looked up the pro's and the cons I decided I did not want a permanent retainer. When I went in for my molds appointment I told the assistant who was doing my molds that I absolutely did not want a permanent retainer. She spoke with my ortho and he made sure that that was what I desired. When I confirmed it he agreed and gave me the retainer type I wanted. It was as simple as that.

sorry for the delay but i only really got a quick chait with my ortho today!....yup hes going to give me the permanent retainers after all, partly because im insisting and partly because he does think my bottom teeth would benefit fom them due to severe overcrowding that was previously there....so im happy enough...cant wait to get them off though just got the most painful elastic configuration!! agony!