Metal Mouth Message Board

hello everyone...ive had braces on now for about 8 months and am about 6 weeks from my debanding date (the braces are somewhat similar to 6 month smile hence the short time scale).

I have been told by the receptionist at the dental surgery that my ortho does not like permanent retainers and will most likely not agree to fit them...i am going to see him next week and plan to discuss the issue as i am adamant that i want them. I have heard so many stories of people who have had permanent retainers on the bottom but essix on top and even with correct use of removeable retainers there is movement in their teeth yet those held by the permanent retainers have not moved at all.

I am paying £3,000 which is $4,700 dollars, US (approx) and feel that after paying that mount of money surely i have a right to insist on the type of retainers that i want. I dont want to have paid all this money to have to go to another ortho to get them to fit the type of retainer that i would like. I am 25 years old and aware of the pros and cons of each so just want to know how u people feel abouth this issue? should/can i insist??

You can by all means ask the doc about them.
It isnt always possible to place them on the upper teeth though.
FWIW, even when I do place a splinted ret I also provide a removable that fits over top.

I want permanent retainers too and I think we have EVERY right to have them.

i've only just started with my braces but i also think i definitely want perm retainers when i'm finished. My ortho said yes for them on the bottom but was a bit vague about having them on the top too and as i have 17 months to go i didnt pursue it at the time. However, i'm interested in the mention of pros and cons? What are they? i just thought the cons were with the removable ones (eg the faff of having to deal with removable retaines at night for the rest of your life) vs perm retainers just being a wire thing stuck to the back of your teeth- which seemed a whole load of less hassle. What are the cons to perm retainers?

I'm told permanent ones are a lot harder to keep clean, ie - flossing, etc. Also there can be issues where if you damage the wire, it can cause more harm than good. They can be tricky to fit as well.

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Dr. Rick,

What do you mean by a splinted retainer? Is that like a splint for grinding at night? I am asking because I have one now for grinding, but when I get a retainer, is it possible to get one for nighttime that also acts as a retainer, and a different one for the day? I don't have braces yet, but when I get them, is there some kind of thing I can use at night so I don't grind, even though I will have braces on? Thanks!

PumpkinPatch

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?

My ortho doesn't like the bonded lingual wires because it's harder to floss, it can break off and damage the teeth its bonded to, and he's seen cases where they don't keep the teeth from shifting. He's also not a fan of Essix retainers, though he'll make them if the patient insists.

I had seen bonded lingual bars and thought they seemed like a good idea, but after hearing my ortho out, I think I'm going with the Holly retainers for the top and bottom.

Opps. Holly should be Hawley. I had never seen it spelled out until I just looked it up.

Well i never floss anyway!!!!! Just brush and mouthwash. No cavities, no fillings,no problems. So is it just the flossing thing that is a problem with fixed retainers?

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.

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.

thanks for the relys guys....just out of interest has anyone on here got permanent/bonded retainers and experienced movement??

I am definately of the opinion i would rather have a bit of trouble flossing with nice straight teeth than have movement. Just seems like such a waste of time and money to have ur teeth move again after braces

pumpkinpatch wrote:Dr. Rick,

What do you mean by a splinted retainer? Is that like a splint for grinding at night? I am asking because I have one now for grinding, but when I get a retainer, is it possible to get one for nighttime that also acts as a retainer, and a different one for the day? I don't have braces yet, but when I get them, is there some kind of thing I can use at night so I don't grind, even though I will have braces on? Thanks!

PumpkinPatch

Splinted retainers is the bonded retainer on teh back of the teeth. Just another name for it.

As far as pts not flossing that can lead to gum disease even more so than cavities. It is always a shave to see someone without a single cavity start losing their teeth to gum disease. Plus there is a link btwn gum disease and heart disease so anything you can do to prevent it is ideal.

Flossing around a bonded ret is really the same as flossing around your braces. Use floss threaders etc