Tightness After 6 Months

[joicetti]

I had braces for just over a year and a half, primarily to correct a bite problem and to correct some minor crowding in my bottom teeth. The braces came off mid-July of last year and I've been wearing a Hawley retainer religiously since, now arriving at the 6-month mark next week.

If I have the retainer out for an hour or two, it's fine when I put it back in--I don't feel much tightness or shifting during that small amount of time.

However if I have it out for 3-4 hours, say to attend a party or longer dinner, I can definitely feel tightness at that point.

What's everyone's experience been like after this amount of time? Since I'm at the 6-month mark my ortho will probably advise to go to nighttime wear only, and I'm wondering if that will cause my teeth to shift if I'm already feeling tightness after just a few hours.

Everyone says it really takes a YEAR for things to truly harden. Has anyone felt this way during their journey? Did you just wear your retainer for longer or am I worrying for nothing?

[Navygrrl]

I don't have any personal experience with retainers, but the research I've done suggests that retainers are considered more of a permanent thing nowadays than temporary. Definitely talk with your orthodontist, as everyone's teeth are different. If your teeth are already feeling tight, I would think that backing off to nights only would be premature.

Let us know how it goes!

[djspeece]

I have used Vivera retainers now for a few years and still feel a slight bit of tightness each night when I put them in, but the feeling is gone within a few minutes. I occasionally don't put them in after a romantic encounter in the evening, and the next night the tightness is about the same, and it disappears quickly as well. I plan on wearing them forever. Perhaps add in my final instructions to have the funeral director put them in before I go underground.