First, some background. I grind my teeth. Not all the time, but when I'm stressed it happens in my sleep as well as when I'm concentrating on a task. My ortho has hinted that he's planning to put me in a permanent retainer for the bottom and an Essix (to help with the night grinding). This sounds reasonable, but I was just looking at the Wikipedia entry for retainers and it said the following:
The concept of "favorable settling" makes sense to me, but how important is this? Is an Essix retainer's impact on my grinding enough to outweigh the benefits of "favorable settling" provided by a Hawley? Is it a good idea to go with a Hawley and just get a splint/night guard to address the grinding?Essix retainers, if worn 24 hours per day, do not allow the upper and lower teeth to touch because plastic covers the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Some orthodontists feel that it is important for the top and bottom chewing surfaces to meet to allow for "favorable settling" to occur. Essix retainers are less expensive, more aesthetic and easier to wear than Hawley retainers.
Any advice, especially from folks in a similar situation, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!