Metal Mouth Message Board

I wasn't sure if this was the right thread for a discussion about retainers, but...

I went to see my ortho today, and I am in my final months of braces!! October 1st I'm getting impressions for a retainer! Yay!

I want to ask my ortho if I could be given an Essix retainer instead of a Hawley. My reasoning is, to be quite honest, I know that I wouldn't wear the Hawley as directed. Since I'll just be getting my braces off, I won't want any more metal wires in my mouth for a while. I'd probably just wear it at night and show off my bare teeth during the day if I was stuck with a Hawley.

I did some research on WikiPedia, and apparently, a few orthodontists aren't particularly fond of Essix retainers. Knowing my ortho, I'm going to guess he's one of the few. I have never seen him give out a single Essix, and I think that if I ask for one, he'll shoot me down. He shot me down for Invisalign even though I was a candidate.

What can I do? I don't want to waste all that money and time invested into braces, and then just have my teeth slide back to the way they used to be! Help!!

From what I understand, more than a "few" orthos are not fond of Essix retainers. Mainly the reasons are:

1. You can't make subtle adjustments easily with an Essix retainer the way you can with a Hawley (e.g., bending the wires slightly or whatever).

2. Some orthos believe that because Essix retainers prevent the teeth from touching, the teeth can't naturally settle into position as easily. Yes, the plastic in the retainer is very thin but still it is there between the teeth. Some orthos believe that this prevents proper retention.

3. Because some orthos like Hawleys better than Essix, they don't have a relationship with a lab or company that makes Essix retainers. So they'd be going out of their way to have an Essix made for you.

On the other hand, some orthos give their patients Essix retainers because they know the patients will not wear Hawleys and they want their patients to wear a retention device! Also, some ortho offices make the retainers on site-- they have already invested in the equipment, so they want to take advantage of it and therefore offer the choice.

If there are any orthodontists on the board who want to jump in to this discussion, be my guest! From what I understand, this is a very heated subject in the orthodontic community. So correct me if I'm wrong about any of this.

I'm getting my braces off tomorrow and getting a bonded retainer on top and bottom and an Essix on top to wear at night only. I read that article and the down sides of having Essix. I'm worried about getting an Essix after reading that article. I dont want to have any type of problems with my teeth because I'm wearing a retainer my ortho made me get. I guess I will be having a discussion with my assistant tomorrow before they take my impressions for that my Essix retainer.

I've become quite curious about this issue because now that the end of my treatment time is looming, my orthodontist mentioned that I would probably have Essix retainers and a bonded lower retainer. He said it would probably be 24-hours-a-day wear for the first couple of months, then nightime only after that.

My teeth, it seems, have a lot of 'memory'. Are Essix retainers 'better' for teeth that move at the drop of a hat?

Having had a Hawley-style removable appliance as a teen (which I seem to remember breaking on at least 6 occasions) I think Essix retainers might be better for me anyway!

I'm a long way off from actually choosing, but during my consultation my orthodontist only offered bonded and Essix, she did not offer Hawley. I'll have to ask her why.

Meryaten, very interesting about the Essix retainers creating an open bite position if not equilibrated. I clench my jaws, including many times at night, and I suspect clenching into an open bite position could cause me some problems, at the very least TMJ discomfort. I'm imagining my molars getting impacted, so when the retainer is out I end up with a posterior open bite !

I wish i could get a mouthguard type retainer for nighttime, with top and bottom attached. I normally sleep with my mouth closed and teeth not touching, except when I'm clenching. I wouldn't want an attached Essix upper and lower since they snap on and I'd probably panic if I couldn't open my mouth in the middle of the night. I would like something that my teeth can slide more easily in and out of. My waking hours I would wear the Essix. Anyone have a setup like this ?