Metal Mouth Message Board

My ortho says: 24/7 for 6 months then nightly as long as I want straight teeth. I've passed my 6 month mark but I haven't been the most compliant with the 24/7 thing so I'm trying to wear them full time for a while longer.

My ortho said 24/7 for a year and then at night indefinately.

My ortho told me way back at my first consultation that I'll need to wear mine 24/7 for a year and then nightly forever.

My ortho instructed me to wear my retainers (Hawleys on top and bottom) 10 hours per day. I wear them every night (9-11 hours) and try to fit in some additional hours during the day (bottom Hawley is a breeze; top one is hard to speak with, so that cramps the extra day time hours).

Last week, I had my first appointment since getting my retainers, and my ortho said my teeth were still in their correct positions, so the retainers are doing their job.

So, I think every case is different.

Hang in there, and see what your ortho says at the end of your treatment.

i really don't care what my ortho said, i'm wearing mine 24/7 as long as they're still in one piece.

glowstix wrote:i really don't care what my ortho said, i'm wearing mine 24/7 as long as they're still in one piece.

Then.. what's the point in having had braces?

Meryaten wrote:

rocket scientist wrote:

glowstix wrote:i really don't care what my ortho said, i'm wearing mine 24/7 as long as they're still in one piece.

Then.. what's the point in having had braces?

Um.. the point of having had braces would have been to straighten the teeth in the first place, no?

I wouldn't want a thing in my mouth forever. If the teeth weren't that bad before braces, I'd not be happy at all wearing a retainer all the time forever

Sorry, double post. The forum showed a posting error...

I have a bonded lower retainer.

I was told to wear my upper retainer 24/7 (excluding eating, drinking, brushing) for the first 6 weeks. After that I have to wear my retainer for 12hrs. I'm not sure if this is suppose to be for the rest of my life or maybe just 2 years. I'm guessing it's for the rest of my life though.

I have my appointment in a few weeks and I'm going to ask my Ortho if there's any negatives to wearing the retainers for more than 12 hrs.

I don't mind wearing the retainers for more than 12hrs if I'm going to be home with no guests over.

I don't want to have braces a 2nd time.

I have been told I will have a upper fixed retainer and upper and lower essix retainers. I will wear my retainers for the first year all the time except when I brush or eat. After the first year I will wear it at night forever.