Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi All,

I hope someone can help me. I had my braces removed last week and am now wearing a clear retainer on top and bottom. I'm supposed to wear the retainer 24 hours a day for the first 3 months, taking out only to eat etc., but it's so incredibly hard to talk with them in that I take them out for maybe an hour a day for meetings at work.

So despite wearing them for at least 22 hours a day my teeth have shifted, and are no longer as straight as they were when I had the braces removed. I can feel the difference in them when I take the retainer out. My question is, is this normal, the retainer doesn't seem to be moving the teeth back in their new positions.

Has anyone any experience with clear retainers? My orthodontist seems to think they are amazing but I hate them, they don't seem to be working and I find it incredibly hard to talk with them in.

I don't know what to do, should I contact my ortho? Sorry for the long rant but I don't want my teeth to return to how they were. Thanks!

Make an appointment with your ortho. Perhaps you can get either a bonded retainer or a Hawley. I know that Hawley's have the ability (more so then the clear) to tweak teeth. If your teeth have moved a bit, it may be possible to have them realigned with a retainer.

Hi. I had my braces off on Mon 24 and had a permanent retainer fitted at the same time. Then on Wed I went back for my clear retainers that I have to wear full time (except for eating) and I am struggling with them. The bottom set are fine but the top set feel really weird. And I am on holiday this week so the whole remove just for meals then brush and put back in doesn't really fit in with the whole grazing and nibbling holiday way of eating...have taken ALOT of liberties but am planing to keep the retainers on for alot longer during day when I get home... Over the two week deadline...