I was cleaning my Hawley retainer (16 years old and still kickin) the other day, and used hot water, a The cleaner that starts with the letter P that has been used in spam posts, so it's censored. tab, and put that in a double-walled insulated mug. I came back an hour later, and my retainer was now a cloudy colour, even after I brushed and cleaned it. That night before bed, I tried to put my retainer in, and it was reeeeeally tight, but was able to go in. In the morning, my mouth was in agony, my teeth were sensitive, and it hurt to eat breakfast. It was obvious that my retainer changed shape in the hot water.
I'm hoping I can just get impressions done and get this retainer reshaped, or just a new retainer all together, but I've moved provinces since my braces experience, and all the ortho places I called on Friday are full for appointments until at least two weeks from now. My teeth shift enough some days that my retainer (when it was perfect) was still hard to get in some nights. I'm super afraid that my teeth will shift without the retainer, so I'm still wearing the other one, even though it causes discomfort.
Has this happened to anyone else? Do orthodontists still use Hawley retainers, or have things changed in the retainer world in 16 years?
