Bonded Retainer or Not?

Message

#1 Post by **stevon** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:37 pm

I am about 6-8 weeks from being brace free and my ortho has said I can choose what kind of retainers I want. I eliminated Essix retainers because I tend to clench my teeth and they don't hold up as long. I know I want Hawley on the top, but I need to decide whether to do Hawley or bonded on the bottom. I have heard it can be a hassle to clean around bonded retainers and I don't think I want something stuck to the inside of my teeth. It seems that it would irritate my tongue.

I'd love to hear your experiences wtih bonded lower retainers and/or lower hawleys.

#2 Post by **lionfish** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:16 pm

I'm bonded up and down - front 6, no problems with either. Instead of flossing these teeth, I use piksters at the gum margin. This is on these teeth, on the recommendation of my dentist.

#3 Post by **Beckster** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 11:06 pm

I would say DEFINITELY do the lower bonded for sure! Maybe ask if you can also have a removable at night, also. Those teeth tend to move a lot so it can't hurt to have it done.

#4 Post by **jennielee81** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 2:28 pm

I've a lower bonded and it's not been a bother at all!

YouTube · #5 Post by **retainerjoe** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 3:35 am

the bonded retainer are nice , HOWEVER i do find that some food still gets stuck around them , but a swish of water in most cases will dislodge it

#6 Post by **TigerLily** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 4:48 pm

I do not have retainers (I wish!) as I've only been in braces 6-7 months. I have a lot to learn about braces let alone retainers!

However, I had a retainer conversation with my ortho the other day. When I do finish I will have bonded upper and lower, also Essix upper and lower at nighttime. To be reviewed after 12 months of wearing the retainers.

The reason we were having this retainer conversation was I asked my ortho whether having braces herself had made a difference to her work (as background she was at the end of her braces treatment when I started mine, she'd been an ortho for over 20 years beforehand). She told me about the things she views differently now but one thing was understanding about patients and why they don't wear their retainers enough. She hadn't been wearing her Essix retainers diligently..!! And now her teeth have shifted! (She hadn't had bonded retainers as she'd done her braces herself but could not do bonded retainers herself). She's not very happy about it but luckily she thinks she can fix it quite quickly with Invasalign and this time get another ortho she trusts to do bonded retainers on.

Also, a few months ago my hygienist said there was a big difference between the ex ortho patients at the two surgeries she worked in. At the surgery I go to, the ortho is really into bonded retainers but at the other they are not. The hygienist said she saw moved teeth at the other surgery far more often and the patients were upset that they'd been through braces treatment and lost their result a few years later.

So my inexperienced opinion is get bonded retainers and live with them as long as you can. Perhaps Essix or Hawley are better at retention or easier to clean but people are people and it seems it's easy to slide into not wearing your retainers. (Well I know that from my pre-teen experiences). Or get both so if you don't wear your Essix or your Hawley as much you should, there's always back up.

#7 Post by **purpleteeth** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:10 pm

Can you have both bonded and either essix or hawleys too? I know I'll be getting a bonded retainer of some sort (not sure if it is top or bottom, cant remember what they said) and I hope I get retainers to wear during the daytime too --- I don't care if I get essix or hawley, doesn't bother me either way.

#8 Post by **joplin** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 5:37 am

I have bonded retainers behind both upper (lateral to lateral) and lower (from canine to canine) front teeth + a Hawley retainer on top.

#9 Post by **stevon** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 12:52 pm

The idea of having both bonded and Hawley is intriguing.

For those who have bonded retainers, do they irritate your tongue? Also, how does cleaning/flossing around them compare to cleaning and flossing with braces?

I have to admit, one of the things I am looking forward to most about being brace-free is having it be much easier to brush and floss. I fear that bonded retainers will be almost as challenging to clean around. Also, do you have to be cautious about what you eat with bonded retainers? I am really looking forward to a carmel apple!

Thanks for your input everybody.

#10 Post by **Maverick** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:26 pm

Rather than having to floss around a bonded retainer, would a Waterpik be good enough?

#11 Post by **lionfish** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:41 am

My dentist said I could use piksters instead of flossing around the gum margin of the bonded teeth, so that's what I do. I floss above the wire on those and normally on all other teeth.

I have no tongue irritation.

I am absolutely not game to bite into an apple or carrot. I will bite into corn on the cob though and will happily hack away at spare ribs, chicken drummies and the like.

#12 Post by **stevon** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:32 pm

As you may have seen in the main MMMB section I have my de-bracing day! July 11th is my big day. I discussed the various retainer options with my ortho and we both agreed that the best option for me is to do upper and lower Hawleys. His feeling was that he would push the bonded retainer for me if I had issues with compliance. But, because I have been so good about wearing my expanders (yes, I had 2) and my elastics he isn't concerned about me wearing my retainers as prescribed.

I am so jazzed to be officially joining you Naked Tooth-ers!

Thanks for all your knowledge on this subject!

#13 Post by **Spidey** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:58 am

I am getting upper and lower bonded as well as upper and lower essix. Bonded to preven relapse of my very rotated canines and essix at night to keep my extraction sites from reopening

#14 Post by **pokergirl** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:52 pm

I have a bonded retainer on my lower teeth and I'm still in a positioner at night only for a little "tweaking" that needs to be done. I have had no problem whatsoever with my bonded retainer. I can't even feel that it's there unless my tongue searches for it.

#15 Post by **jbjalways** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:56 pm

I have top & bottom bonded. No retainers except a DRS to hold my jaw in place that I still haven't been able to wear since they didn't fit it right. The wire is still a little hard to get used to and my tongue still plays with it, but it's not bad.