Not happy with ortho office after braces.

[Featheryy1221]

Hi all.

If you've followed my posts across various threads, you'll know that I got my braces off July 14th of this year. Less than a month after that, my top essix retainer chipped and they cut the retainer down. However because of that i had to pull the retainer from one side, which lead to the top retainer cracking down the center and I had to pay for it to be replaced. A week or so later, my bottom essix retainer broke on the chewing surfaces on the left side (it dropped in my bathroom sink). After santizing it, I had to wear it for a few days until I could get a new one and it broke on the other side when I was taking my retainer out. So I got a new bottom retainer and because there's nothing to grab onto on the left molars, I have to pull from the right side and lift up the left side near my lower left canine.

Now when taking my top retainer out this morning, I noticed I have a start of a line mark that I'm pretty sure will crack through within the next weeks.

I'm really frustrated.

My office doesn't listen to me when I say that it's when I take them out. I tried explaining to the girl that made my bottom retainer that my top retainer broke when I had to pull from one side. She didnt listen and just said they cut differently so I just have to adjust. Another girl thinks I'm grinding my teeth when i sleep, but that's not how these are breaking. They're cracking when I take my retainers OUT of my mouth. They always are so difficult for me to get out as they feel too tight.

My teeth shift during the day so when i put my retainers back in, its hard to sometimes. I'm down to nighttime only wear, which i think is too soon.

I'm really, really tired of having to get these replaced. And I'm tired of not being heard.

I'm wondering if perhaps another office would make me retainers and listen to me? Specifically if they could make me hawley retainers. I am not having any luck with essix retainers and for whatever reason they are stuck on essixes.

I just don't know what to do anymore. I can't afford to keep replacing my retainers. I'm tempted to just say forget it and just deal with shifting. Which is absolutely horrible because I hated my before smile and I love my new one. I just can't keep doing this.

[jem]

Why not cut your losses with this ortho practice and go to a different ortho for some new retainers?

[oldfart]

That was my thought. (switch orthos). Or at least ask about the cost of switching to a Hawley.

And you said that you are nightime wear only which is too soon. What is preventing you from wearing them more (when they are not broken of course)? In my previous life with braces 15 years ago i switched from essix to hawley. Much prefer the hawley.

[sirwired]

I think ortho offices like Essix retainers because they can often be fabricated in-house, instead of having to ship them off to (and pay) a lab. I think you just need to ask the office point-blank why they keep putting you in Essix that break, and is there a reason they won't order a Hawley for you (or affix a bonded). It is entirely possible that your particular case requires keeping the teeth from rotating, which the Hawley can't control well.

To help you pull your Essix, you can buy an "Aligner Removal Tool". While it's meant for people on Invisilign, it works just fine for tight Essix removal. Dentakit (the store that owns this website) offers it.

[djspeece]

I imagine any orthodontist could make a retainer for you. Have you considered the Vivera? From what I understand it is more durable than the Essix. It's what I am shooting for when my braces come off next month. Ortho seems set on the Hawley though, not sure why since we only had a brief email exchange. Perhaps it because the Hawley is more easily adjustable, and the general dentist may want to do some work after the braces come off.

[NeilH]

I think a frank talk with your ortho is overdue. Retainers shouldn't be breaking that quickly so maybe you need to wear them full time for a bit longer. I'm sure there are good reasons to prescribe Essix retainers rather than Hawley but I think your ortho owes you an explanation. I agree with others, any ortho or dentist can prescribe retainers or the Vivera retainers might offer an alternative solution so explore your options and insist on getting this resolved.

[Featheryy1221]

Thank you all for your replies; I really appreciate it.

I've been wearing them only at night because that's what I was told by one of the assistants at my retainer checkup. I was trying to follow their instructions in order to seem like a compliant patient. I do put them in some days for longer than night time only wear as since after having braces I usually brush my teeth right after I have dinne, then pop my retainers back in.

I will talk to them if ever (whenever) this retainer breaks. If I'm somehow lucky enough to not have any issues, I will talk to them in January to see if i can get different retainers when I have my next retainer checkup/bite splint making appointment.

If they aren't interested in helping me, then I guess I will just cut my ties with them.

I just wasn't sure if you COULD get retainers made elsewhere (at another office).

It's just frustrating that my office doesn't listen and that they aren't trying to help me solve the problem. When I asked for tips on how to get them out better, their response was pretty much just practice. Which is fine, but I still have issues sometimes getting them out almost 3 months later; I feel like I've had enough 'practice.'

Sirwired, I'll have to look into that appliance and see how it works/if it would work for me.

I've never heard of Vivera so I'll look into that as well. I feel like the plastic on the essixes is so cheap.

Thanks for the help all. Who knew retainer life would give me so many problems. I wish I was having more luck with these things.

[ItsFreyja]

Good luck with everything, Featheryy. I just wanted to chime in add that you can definitely just have retainers made somewhere else if you get too frustrated with your current ortho. "Get some retainers made to keep things from getting worse" is how I started on my braces journey, actually; I think my office charges $350 for a pair of Essixes for a new patient. If your current ortho lets you keep your last impressions, you might be able to save some money if the new ortho is willing to work from those.

[Featheryy1221]

Well the top retainer broke again on Sunday morning. I'm going in today to get a new retainer. I'm going to ask if I need to get new retainers because these clearly aren't working out. There was a huge hairline crack where my left side canine tooth was. That wasn't where it broke though. It broke in the back where my molars are and it cracked when I was taking them out.

I hate these things. I wish I had been blessed with naturally straight teeth because this is just a joke now...

[djspeece]

It just seems to me that you are requiring more force to remove them, and in my limited experience that could mean that you need to wear the retainer more than just at night so that your teeth and retainer aren't fighting each other. The standard instructions my ortho dispenses is to wear them as much as possible day and night at first (20 hours per day ideally) and in some number of months (2-4) they can be worn night time only, but he is the one who determines that. I would specifically ask you ortho about the routine, and not the techs. I am in Essix retainers for now, and I can tell when I put them in if they have been out too long -- I have to use some additional pressure, and they tend to snap in. My office taught me when inserting them, start with the front teeth, and gently move your hands to the back down the retainers to seat them. When removing them, use gentle pressure to loosen one side, then the other and they come out without a lot of torqueing. I am very gentle with them. Perhaps you could demonstrate your technique to the ortho for some pointers.
Best of luck. I can't imagine your frustration after enduring braces, and now this retainer issue.

[Featheryy1221]

Thanks. They break because I have nothing to grab onto on the back corners. One side I do. The side that broke, I didn't. I've tried explaining this to them. They don't understand.

They just cut the back part off because I guess i'm getting my bite splint now and I'll use that instead. She asked me if my retainers are always this hard to get out because I couldn't get it out the one side and I said "yes, that's why they keep breaking."

"Oh. Well you'll just have to get used to it." -_-

I literally have to yank it out on one side again. -_- there is NOTHING on the other side to grab onto.

Still debating going to another ortho to get retainers made. I should not be having these troubles.

[djspeece]

One suggestion that Kipepeo suggested was to use those small plastic crochet hooks to gain contact in the rear of the retainer to begin to get some movement. She had some issues as well in the beginning. I found some at a local art supply store, but by the time I got them to her she had already figured out another approach.

[lilyflower]

I have invisalign which I know isn't as strong as the Essix but I would highly recommend trying one of those tool things mentioned up thread. I know a lot of people with Invisalign who have a lot of attachments (which makes removing aligners harder - trust me on this) swear by them.

The other option is to ask the ortho (not the tech) why you can't have another type of retainer or should you be wearing these longer than just overnight? If you're not a good candidate for a Hawley or bonded, ask why.

I'm not fully understanding the part where you say there's nothing to grab onto at one side. Do you mean that the retainer doesn't really have an "end" because of the splint?

[Kipepeo]

You can also try a guitar pick, and look really cool carrying one around with you, too.
I use my fingernails from two fingers on both hands on one side of the retainer. My retainers come just to the gumline, and I have to be careful not to catch my nail on the edge of a crown. So far, so good. My hygienist assures me I probably could not pull a crown off that way, unless it was already loose. I use Vivera retainers which are pretty sturdy, and definitely not likely to crack in normal wear. They are thicker than the other tray retainers, so a bit uncomfortable for day wear, but perfectly fine for nighttime wear.