In need of help!!!

[rjames152]

Back at the end of August I had my braces removed (yay!). Due to my moving to Boston, from Alabama (where my orthodontists office is located), I had to have my hawley retainer mailed to me. In the mean while though to hold me over, I was given an essix retainer which I hated at first, but have gotten used to. This morning my hawley retainer arrived in the mail, so I popped it in to see how it would fit. Unfortunately, I'm not sure it's fitting properly. So for a couple of questions, when I pop in the top and bottom, should I be able to bite down without feeling the bar that comes across the chewing surface at the back of the retainer? The bars that come around the front of the retainer sit flush against my teeth. Also, the top retainer kind of wobbles a little after I've pressed it on as tightly as I can. I can't remove the bottom with my tongue, but if I press against the top I'm able to push it out. I'm wearing my essix retainer instead right now to be safe as I don't want my teeth to shift improperly due to wearing a poorly fitted retainer. In the event that my retainer is faulty, how difficult should it be to find an orthodontist here in Boston to adjust it for me. Would I be locked into another payment schedule? How does switching orthodontists work exactly?

Thanks in advance!

[Way Too Old For This]

My Hawleys do impede my biting down. There are wires (actually about 6 wires on each one) that go across the top of my molars, top and bottom. When I bite down those wires keep me from biting down all the way.

They are not loose. I have to sort of 'pop' them in and I cannot remove them with my tongue. The plastic part behind my teeth touch every single tooth with no spaces and the wire sits flush to the front of my teeth. I guess what I am trying to describe is that they look like there is no way the teeth could move with them on.