If you have finished with your orthodontic treatment and are wearing retainers (or will be soon), this is a special place to connect with others in your (enviable) situation. Ask a question or make a comment about life post-braces.
I'm getting mine off in one shot as well. I have a 7:30am debanding time (yawn...maybe I'll sleep through the process! ) and go back at 3pm to pick up my retainers. I plan on getting my hair done and heading to Hooters for lunch -- I have missed eating wings! Or maybe I'll be a good girl and see if I can squeeze in a teeth cleaning instead...hmmm...
Braced Jan. 31, 2008
Sentenced to 24 months
Debraced Jan. 14, 2010!
Now wearing Essix retainer on top 24/7 with bonded lower
I'm supposed to get mine done in one shot. But I'm sad because I'm not happy with my two front teeth now. It seems as if they've shifted and the tops aren't "flush" with each other. So now one seems longer than the other. Its SO incredibly frustrating because my ortho was working hard at closing gaps and avoiding black triangles and now this. I heard with hawleys adjustments can still be made? Oh well we'll see how things go.
Sdawdy--thanks! It went ok, but was very painful when he removed the bands. Surprisingly, the ceramic brackets were pretty easy to remove with a new tool he had.
TXMommy-- I know what you mean about being scared you won't get them off when you think--I expected to get both the uppers and lowers off on Wed, but he wanted to close a gap on the bottom, so that will wait. Good luck with yours!
Changes09--3 hours?!! Why will it take so long? My appointment for the uppers, plus a new power chain on the lowers, plus the impression for the upper retainer, only took 30 minutes.
PJ or anyone else already here,
Did you get a hawley retainer for the tops? If so how is talking with it in? HELP....I am starting to panic...I work in a call center, so I sit and talk on the phone all day...Getting REALLLLLLLLY NERVOUS.
I used to visit this board regularly during the first 6-9 months of treatment but have left off since then. I've now had my braces for 21 months and 10 days and will be debanded tomorrow morning, top and bottom, and will be back in the afternoon for my retainers. Of course i've been having teeth nightmares several times a week for the past few weeks and and horribly afraid that my teeth will go all wonky in the 7 hours they will be free. I plan to have some bonding and gum reshaping done in a few months to get the results that braces couldn't give. I need to review how to post photos on this forum, since i've forgotten, then they will be up.
I'm really happy with the results. As i said in the post above i want to have some bonding done on the edges of the upper centrals to correct the uneven wear and some gum shaping so my teeth appear the same length.
amazing transformation. I wish I had before pictures. I didnt take them at the start. But tonight will take my after photos and post them. How are you getting along with your retainer. I am finally starting to speak a little clearer...but not much....
Got there, and had to wait...
Got to the chair, and brackets came off, there were a few teeth that were sensitive but other wise no problem
Time to scrap off the glue....sounded like nails on a chalkboard, and almost drove me to a panic attack.
Then my OD came over and did the polishing, and grinding down the rough edges on my teeth and to make my central incisors the same length.
Retainer time...yes, no, maybe....they take it out of the packaging and put it in, there is a problem with it and it does not fit right...there was a lot of talking but if you push on the back, the front comes loose and if you push on the front the back comes loose. So now we have to take another mold to make sure they make the next one correct. But before that,
Bottom bonded retainer goes on.
Mold taken, the assistant crammed the largest thing they had there into my mouth, it hurt like a son of a B****. Saying we had to use a big one to make sure the mold is good.
So, i got a goody bag and took my sort of fitting retainer and went back to work with instructions of wearing it 24/7 except eating or playing contact sports for at least a year. I go back next week to pick up the new retainer. (the plus thing is if anything ever happens to my retainer i got a free replacement due to this one not fitting right, they are going to let me keep it.)
I am doing better talking, but it has been a rough day and i am going to bed...wonder if this retainer will stay in my mouth during the night or if i will spit it out??
Sdawdy--sorry, I didn't check back here, but it looks like you answered your own question about how hard it is to talk with the retainer. I wouldn't be much help, as I was given an Invisilign retainer for the uppers--talking is very easy!--and still don't have the lowers.
I have a 7:30am debanding time (yawn...maybe I'll sleep through the process! 
) and go back at 3pm to pick up my retainers. I plan on getting my hair done and heading to Hooters for lunch -- I have missed eating wings! Or maybe I'll be a good girl and see if I can squeeze in a teeth cleaning instead...hmmm... 
It seems as if they've shifted and the tops aren't "flush" with each other. So now one seems longer than the other. Its SO incredibly frustrating because my ortho was working hard at closing gaps and avoiding black triangles and now this. I heard with hawleys adjustments can still be made? Oh well we'll see how things go. 
