Yeah retention really is (or should be
) for life.
Ultimately, your teeth are always moving (with or without having had braces). So for us who have worn braces, there is a big chance of relapse (teeth going back to how they used to look) if we do not always wear retainers.
Here's the good news though - everyone I know who has had braces, probably stopped wearing retainers after a year or so, with most of them still having straight teeth even years later. Are they as straight as when the braces first came off? Probably not. But maybe as straight as someone who never had braces in the first place.
The bad news? I also know a lot of people who's teeth did relapse once retainers came off. The worst thing is, it normally happens gradually, so you would never realise it was happening until it was too late. I can only imagine how p'ed off I would feel if that happens, which is why i intend to wear retainers for life!!
But if it really bothers you, here is a good way to approach it I think (I am no professional, but Im sure your dentist could advise!):
- - Wear retainers as much as possible for year 1
- Then, try wearing them only at night - if they do not feel tight when putting them back on again the following night, stick with nightly wear for 6 months.
- Then, try wearing them only once every two nights. Again, if they don't feel tight when you next wear them, stick with every 2 nights for another 6-12 months. If they do feel tight, continue wearing every night, and try every two nights further down the line.
- Follow on the same process (wearing less and less, providing they never feel tight), until eventually you almost never wear them.
Again, the risk of not wearing them is that your teeth
will move. But maybe if you follow the above routine, it will only be slight movement over your lifetime, rather than complete relapse.
