Do you get used to feeling of permanent retainer?

[gary]

I know that this should be in the other forum, but it can be a ghost town over there. So anyway...

I just got my bottom brackets off and had him put a permanent retainer on. He told me that I'll get used to the feeling eventually, but man oh man does it not seem like I will. Any of you who have one can chime in on this? The way I feel now, I almost want to get it taken out and have a removable. It's not like it hurts or anything. Just annoying. I guess this is most people's gripes about them?

Also, why did my folks leave me with teeth that needed braces?

Thnx.

[caitlin1120]

I wish I had an answer for you, I'm still wearing braces but will be getting them off and getting permanent retainers next Monday. I had no idea they were that annoying! Thanks for the heads up so I'm not expecting blissful comfort after walking out of the ortho office (as if that ever happens...)

I would think they would be like the braces, which were also incredibly annoying at first, but are now almost completely forgettable. I'm sure what you're going through right now is akin to the "I just want to rip these things off my teeth" phase when you first got braced. Hopefully this too shall pass. For your sake and mine

[gary]

That's actually a very valid point. I guess it feels different because it's bonded to the back of my teeth now instead of the front? Cause you'd think I'd be used to the "clamp" feeling by now.

But yes you're right, you get used to the braces so why not this. But I think you get used to the braces TO A DEGREE. You always know they're there, simply from
feel (not just knowing). That's what I'm afraid may drive me nuts for the rest of my life. Which brings me to the question actually: Can you eventually take it out? Maybe get it out after a while and just get a regular one for nighttime wear? These are things I'm gonna ask my ortho actually who will inevitably chuckle being that he most likely knows people get annoyed with them...

[braceface2b]

I'm still in braces, so I can't give you any perspective about retainers, but I can give you some about things bonded to the backs of your teeth because I have bite turbos. They would just about have to be worse than a bonded retainer.

After a while, you stop noticing them, just like you did with your braces.

[SlimZippy]

I had my permanent retainer bonded in last week. Getting used to it already. Feels a bit strange at first and I keep rubbing my tongue over it but it’s not too obstructive just a bit odd.

[hj55]

I have had upper and lower permanent retainers since July 2010. Generally I'd say I'm used to them and they're OK. But if I start to poke around the retainers with my tongue ( which I do seem to do from time to time!) it can get very sore - then I'm glad I've also got the Essix retainers to use at night. If I do a lot of talking I think I start to lisp but I don't think most people notice it. As with braces I think it's best to keep drinking plenty of water.

[gary]

I have had upper and lower permanent retainers since July 2010. Generally I'd say I'm used to them and they're OK. But if I start to poke around the retainers with my tongue ( which I do seem to do from time to time!) it can get very sore - then I'm glad I've also got the Essix retainers to use at night. If I do a lot of talking I think I start to lisp but I don't think most people notice it. As with braces I think it's best to keep drinking plenty of water.

Why do you use essix at night on top of them?

[VA5]

I have had upper and lower permanent retainers since July 2010. Generally I'd say I'm used to them and they're OK. But if I start to poke around the retainers with my tongue ( which I do seem to do from time to time!) it can get very sore - then I'm glad I've also got the Essix retainers to use at night. If I do a lot of talking I think I start to lisp but I don't think most people notice it. As with braces I think it's best to keep drinking plenty of water.

Why do you use essix at night on top of them?

Oh good, a thread about permanent retainers!!! For some reason I was under the impression that you get the permanent ones only on the bottom... but I'm glad to hear you get them on the top too. So HJ55, do they work well to retain your teeth? How long do you have to wear the essix retainers at night? Was there ever a time when your ortho suggested you wear the essix during the day too? I really want to appear metal-mouth free when these suckers are removed. I hope that my ortho can give me the same setup that you do too!

[gary]

I have had upper and lower permanent retainers since July 2010. Generally I'd say I'm used to them and they're OK. But if I start to poke around the retainers with my tongue ( which I do seem to do from time to time!) it can get very sore - then I'm glad I've also got the Essix retainers to use at night. If I do a lot of talking I think I start to lisp but I don't think most people notice it. As with braces I think it's best to keep drinking plenty of water.

Why do you use essix at night on top of them?

Oh good, a thread about permanent retainers!!! For some reason I was under the impression that you get the permanent ones only on the bottom... but I'm glad to hear you get them on the top too. So HJ55, do they work well to retain your teeth? How long do you have to wear the essix retainers at night? Was there ever a time when your ortho suggested you wear the essix during the day too? I really want to appear metal-mouth free when these suckers are removed. I hope that my ortho can give me the same setup that you do too!

My ortho actually strongly advises against (borderline refuses) to apply permanent retainers to top teeth. He says that your bottom teeth will knock them out more times than it's worth. So when my tops come off, I will most likely be getting a removable. He actually said in his opinion, a hawley retainer is better and more cost effective than the essix in that the essix tends to break or warp a lot causing the patient to have to get many replacements. But I think he's a little more lenient on letting me decide about that one though lol.

I'm stil curious about wearing an essix as well as a permanent. I understand that the permanent only physically goes across 6 teeth. When I asked him if the other teeth (which granted were not crooked or anything anyway) would cause problems since they're not being retained; he said no don't worry about that. That the relapse happens from canine to canine, which is what is indeed being retained.

[VA5]

Ah, I actually do remember reading somewhere here about the top retainer being knocked out by the bottom teeth.. that makes sense. More likely I would prefer the hawley.. i don't like the idea of the essix b/c of the plastic.. which can be bad for your health. So darn.. I guess if I don't get the permanents on the top then I'll have to wear the hawley almost full time... crossing my fingers that my ortho thinks the permanents will work out on the tops of my teeth...

[gary]

Interesting thought about the essix being bad for your health because of the plastic. I hadn't considered that. Lemme mull that over for a little while.

[loradora]

I'm going through this decision making process myself and I'm definitely leaning towards removable after wanting to rip the braces out of my mouth for the last year.

[VA5]

Interesting thought about the essix being bad for your health because of the plastic. I hadn't considered that. Lemme mull that over for a little while.

Well plastic leaches chemicals into your body so that's why I don't really want to have this plastic in my mouth on a continuous basis like that. I'm sure there are no studies on the damaging effects of essix, however I don't want to take that chance... I don't like the plastic in the hawley either which is another reason I really want the bonded retainer on my top and bottom... if that's not possible, at least on the bottom and the hawley on top.

[hj55]

gary wrote:
hj55 wrote:
I have had upper and lower permanent retainers since July 2010. Generally I'd say I'm used to them and they're OK. But if I start to poke around the retainers with my tongue ( which I do seem to do from time to time!) it can get very sore - then I'm glad I've also got the Essix retainers to use at night. If I do a lot of talking I think I start to lisp but I don't think most people notice it. As with braces I think it's best to keep drinking plenty of water.



Why do you use essix at night on top of them?


Oh good, a thread about permanent retainers!!! For some reason I was under the impression that you get the permanent ones only on the bottom... but I'm glad to hear you get them on the top too. So HJ55, do they work well to retain your teeth? How long do you have to wear the essix retainers at night? Was there ever a time when your ortho suggested you wear the essix during the day too? I really want to appear metal-mouth free when these suckers are removed. I hope that my ortho can give me the same setup that you do too!

I have had upper and lower permanent retainers since July 2010. Generally I'd say I'm used to them and they're OK. But if I start to poke around the retainers with my tongue ( which I do seem to do from time to time!) it can get very sore - then I'm glad I've also got the Essix retainers to use at night. If I do a lot of talking I think I start to lisp but I don't think most people notice it. As with braces I think it's best to keep drinking plenty of water.

Not sure whether I've picked upthe quotes correctly!

The permanent retainers do work well to retain my teeth, but I can tell my teeth have moved when I put my Essix retainers back in because there is a feeling of tightness in the upper teeth which soon goes away. I think my molars move slightly - my UR6 is missing & my UR 7 was moved forward slightly to make a suitable size space for an implant later so that space still has to be retained.

I have to wear the Essix retainers every night for the first year from 8pm, then dropping down to 3 nights a week for ever. I don't have to wear them during the day.

It was my choice to have the permanent retainers after I was told about them - I did have to pay extra for them but the Essix retainers were included in the cost of my treatment. I was also told I could opt to have them at any time after having my braces removed - months later if I wanted. In fact they were put on just before my braces were removed so my teeth have never been free since having braces!

I decided to opt for the permanent retainers because I am now 56 & I'd spent over 30 years wanting to do something about my teeth so I just wanted to be sure they would stay as they are. Also it does mean if I'm out late I don't have to worry quite so much about the time I get my retainers in, though I do sometimes do some catch up time during the day at weekends.