scared/forgot to ask important question

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#1 Post by **meetli** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:13 pm

the good news is they're coming off, except i'm a little scared to sign the consent paper since the assistant told me if i notice anything i need to tell the ortho ASAP because once they're off thats it no going back. i'm such a perfectionist that her statement keeps bothering me. has anyone experienced this?

and because of the excitement then the assistant telling me what i mentioned above i forgot to ask what kind of retainers i'm getting impressions for at my next appointment in 2 weeks. my ortho never discussed what kind of retainers i would be getting well maybe he did but it has been 2 years since that conversation and retainers were the last thing on my mind then. i'm a little concerned because i know i would like essix because i would definitely wear them as prescribed as opposed to hawleys because they are visible and bonded because of the flossing. should i call since the next appointment is for impressions or wait till the appointment?

who knew debanding would be so stressful.

#2 Post by **lionfish** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:31 pm

Yup, I had the jitters leading up to D day. I think it's only natural. So if there's anything you still want sorted, now's the time to bring it up. Do talk to your ortho about retainers if you want to know ahead of time.

#3 Post by **SDFD TSchott** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:26 pm

I told my ortho from day one that I want Hawleys and nothing else as that's what the airforce recruiter told me they will allow me into the airforce with... Apperently perm isn't allowed neither is essix!

#4 Post by **badbite** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:59 am

Would someone explain the difference in the types retainers please. I know my ortho uses the clear kind, but I don't know what they are called (I don't really care what kind I get -I just want functional teeth).

#5 Post by **meetli** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:18 am

thanks for everyone's replies I think I'm ready I have analyzed and over-analyzed my teeth and I am going to give them a call today to see what they have in mind with regard to retainers.

badbite the essix are the clear kind, they are the ones that I want mainly because as Meryaten pointed out I would definitely wear them during the day. the hawleys are the metal wire that goes across your teeth attached to acrylic in the shape of the roof or floor of your mouth. the fixed or bonded are usually passive wires that are bonded to the incisors on the tongue side of your arch.

#6 Post by **meetli** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:20 pm

I gave them a call and you were right Meryaten they usually give adults essix or clear retainers, but that only works if they actually know you're an adult.

The woman on the phone said this to me "oh we only give our patients who are 18 and older an option for clear retainers that is why we did not mention it at your last appointment". Mind you I have had braces for 2 years, have been with the same ortho, and I do look young, but I have told people in the office my age when they mistakenly ask for my parents to sign papers and the receptionists also know I live away from home since I'm a 4th year student in college. So I told her I've always been over 18 in fact I'm 20 right now and she says "let me put a note of that on your chart". I have seen my chart and it clearly has my birthday date and year on it, maybe I'm mistaken but I thought they actually looked at the information they made us fill out in the beginning. Sorry for the venting, but I was just so frustrated after that phone call.

#7 Post by **badbite** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:23 am

I wish someone would mistake me for being under 18.

Thanks Meryaten for your reply.