How are people coping with permanent retainers?

[sammywantstraightteeth]

Perhaps a professional can answer this better, but as I understand it you need retainers because teeth have constant pressures on them. Pressure from eating, your tongue, swallowing, etc. Your teeth seek a 'stable' position so that all the forces acting on them are equal and no more movement occurs - this is the basic premise for how the braces work in the first place, by putting pressure in the right place the teeth can be made to reform in the desired position. But that nice straight smile your ortho is creating for you isn't necessarily your mouth's idea of the right positions, and natural forces acting on your teeth will cause movement over time if you don't use a retainer.

[braceguy1]

http://www.archwired.com/how_braces_work.htm

Thanks for the responses. I did find the information I was referring to about how bone opens up and fills in (bone remodeling). It is actually right on this very website! See the above link if interested, it is a short explanation. It seems to indicate that after 10 months or so of retainers the job is done. Not sure the qualifications of the person who wrote it but it does give one hope that you can stop wearing retainers after some time.
But I know one thing, I do not want to wear braces again so I will do whatever is necessary to accomplish that:)

[jxds]

I have a lower bonded retainer, plus essix type removable retainers (right now I only wear those at night, and I have been instructed to do so indefinitely). The bonded retainer does not cause any discomfort at all, except for the fact that I can't floss the front 6 teeth and that cleaning them is more difficult. Compared with the feeling of braces and elastics and all the stuff, the bonded wire behind the teeth is as if wasn't there.

Wearing retainers 'for life' sound a little exaggerated, but I'd rather stick to the instructions you recieve unless you want a new round of braces...

[lionfish]

http://www.archwired.com/how_braces_work.htm

Thanks for the responses. I did find the information I was referring to about how bone opens up and fills in (bone remodeling). It is actually right on this very website! See the above link if interested, it is a short explanation. It seems to indicate that after 10 months or so of retainers the job is done.

I'm a bit skeptical about that.

[lionfish]

http://www.archwired.com/how_braces_work.htm

Thanks for the responses. I did find the information I was referring to about how bone opens up and fills in (bone remodeling). It is actually right on this very website! See the above link if interested, it is a short explanation. It seems to indicate that after 10 months or so of retainers the job is done. Not sure the qualifications of the person who wrote it but it does give one hope that you can stop wearing retainers after some time.

I'm a bit skeptical about that.

[lionfish]

http://www.archwired.com/how_braces_work.htm

Thanks for the responses. I did find the information I was referring to about how bone opens up and fills in (bone remodeling). It is actually right on this very website! See the above link if interested, it is a short explanation. It seems to indicate that after 10 months or so of retainers the job is done. Not sure the qualifications of the person who wrote it but it does give one hope that you can stop wearing retainers after some time.
But I know one thing, I do not want to wear braces again so I will do whatever is necessary to accomplish that:)

Test

[xTc]

I can't believe people are complaining about bonded retainers! I'm on my 2nd time in braces, well actually just had the off wohoo! The first time I had those horrible removable things that make you speak really badly and have a wire across the front of your teeth. Now I have these bonded which put my mind at ease because theres is always some for of retention going on and clear essix retainers for night time. It's an absolute breeze compared to what I went through as a teenager..

Believe me noticing your beautiful teeh shift back to their crooked old ways is such a horrible feeling, wear your retainers properly!

[braceguy1]

I'm with you so far xtc, I got my braces off recently and got the bonded retainers on the top and bottom arches, of the front teeth, and they are not bad at all. I was running my tongue all over them the first few days but I'm growing used to them now. I wear the essix on the top and bottom every night. It is going well...

[Wheellug]

My ortho wont let me get anything but a bonded retainer on the bottom but I know that he offers the flossable kind. Ask if yours does and you can always get yours changed over. I don't need anything else that prevents me from flossing properly. Here is a picture that I found on the internet of what it looks like. I know someone who has it an loves the fact that you can floss.