Can bonded retainers go on just one tooth?

[FinallyBracesFree]

This is my second time in braces. I have a bonded retainer on the bottom and last time I had a Hawley on the top which I loved. But my teeth didn't hold on the top. The only 2 teeth I had problems with were my lateral incisors (mostly the one on the left). My bite also moved a little bit but I don't think a permanent retainer can even hold a bite in place can it?

Anyway my ortho wants to put a permanent retainer on my top teeth this time. I really don't want it. I find the one on the bottom irritating enough and don't even want that. I have anxiety and anything placed near the roof of my mouth is going to bother me. My regular dentist said how he doesn't even see how I have enough room the way my bite is and that I would probably bite on it. When I asked my ortho about it, he said they're gonna try to squeeze it in.

So I really don't want a permanent across the top but when my lateral incisors move up, it looks goofy and like I need braces. And people told me how I need braces when they moved up. So is it possible to put a small wire on the back of each lateral incisor instead of going all the way across? Or even just the one on the left lateral incisor? I really can't handle the wire going all the way across but when the left lateral incisor moves up, it looks really bad. Any advice/suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[sirwired]

I don't see a retainer attached to just two teeth working. I don't think it would retain anything and the wire would likely quickly break due to chewing forces. And one tooth is a non-starter... that would just be "something glued to your tooth"; there'd be nothing for it to brace against.

[robgs]

Bonded retainers usually go from canine to canine because those teeth are the toughest to move; they're like the pillars on your mouth. Bonding a retainer to a single tooth wouldn't do anything, because it's not "anchored" to another tooth that would help it stay in place. Maybe ask your orthodontist if he can give you an essix retainer, since those are the ones that allow the least movement. By the way, did you wear your hawley retainer as expected? what do you think caused your teeth to move?

[FinallyBracesFree]

Could it go from each lateral incisor to the canine and leave it off my front two teeth?

I've had an Essix retainer before and I didn't like it at all. I've never had a cavity my whole life. I brush very well. But when I had the Essix retainer, I had a cavity start developing because your teeth can't breathe. They are completely enclosed. And even when I had the Essix retainer and wore it 24/7 except when eating/brushing, my lateral incisors still started going up.

Then I got the Hawley and I loved it! I wore it 24/7 except when eating/brushing and then eventually went to night wear. But the lateral incisors started going up more and eventually went completely back up, especially after it broke. My orthodontist tells me that the only way to hold the lateral incisors in place is a permanent and that we can't keep 100% of the retention. But everyone I know who has had braces has perfectly straight teeth, no gaps and no noticeable imperfections. And they don't have a permanent. So I just don't get it.