Permanent Wire Retainer on bottom teeth driving me crazy!

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I have a permanent wire retainer on the back of my lower 4 front teeth. The ortho said "It will take just 2 or 3 days to get used it." Well, 2 weeks later I'm STILL not used to it. I'm not sure I can live with this wire for the rest of my life. When I go in for a check up on Feb 14, I'm going to ask about options. Instead of focusing on my smooth front uppers and lowers my tongue hangs out on the wire!

Does anybody have this same type of permanent wire bonded to their teeth?

Did you ever get used to it?

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I should have read down the page to the thread started by Rebekah19 before I posted my question! WOW- 4 pages of discussion already done for me to read. Thanks to all of you for writing about your experiences and your research.

Those curvy wire permanent retainers look cool!

I am going to ask my ortho about the one curved wire that I have, if it is sticking too far out. It seems to me that there is too much space between the wire and my 4 teeth. If it were flatter or closer to my teeth perhaps it wouldn't bother me so much.

[sea54change]

I went to the ortho for a check up on Valentine's Day. I told him how much I HATED the permanent wire band behind my front teeth and that I would NEVER get used to it.

He immediately made a mold of my lower jaw for a retainer which I will wear at night. HURRAH!!! So I have one more month of my tongue feeling and tripping over this wire 24/7! And one more month until I have my mouth back without anything in it during the day. I am so looking forward to this total freedom. That feeling of having nothing in my mouth was the carrot that kept me going through the braces process.

Apparently, according to the ortho, I am 1 out of 40 people who do not get used to this type of permanent retainer.

[sea54change]

On Sunday, I ate my first apple since getting debraced. And guess what happened? The permanent wire band on my lower teeth popped right off! HUARRH!

I called the dentist on Monday- turns out my lower retainer had arrived. I went in that afternoon for a fitting and for removal of the last bits of glue that remained on 2 teeth.

So I am finally BRACE FREE!!!! and totally loving not having anything metal in my mouth during the day!

I'm wearing top and bottom Hawley retainers at night, which is AOK!

[conine]

I absolutely know where you are coming from. A week ago, I was fitted with upper and lower bonded on my front six. Each individual tooth has its own dot of glue. I don't care how rounded the dots are, after your tongue rubs against them all day, it gets irritating - almost spiky. Yesterday, I was fitted with upper and lower hawleys. Although they're for night only, I've actually been leaving them in all day because they're more comfortable.

By the way - hawleys are so much easier than 15 years ago. I had them as a kid, and hated them. Now, they seem smaller and less bulky. My speech is not affected one bit. Either that, or my tongue has amazing muscle memory, and just remembers how to talk with them in.

[sea54change]

Conine- I TOTALLY know about the tongue rubbing on the bits of glue that hold the wire in place! I just could not stop my tongue from going there. And like you, I would have a raw spot on the tip at the end of the day.

If you are using top & bottom retainers, do you still have the permanent wire band behind your teeth?

[conine]

Conine- I TOTALLY know about the tongue rubbing on the bits of glue that hold the wire in place! I just could not stop my tongue from going there. And like you, I would have a raw spot on the tip at the end of the day.

If you are using top & bottom retainers, do you still have the permanent wire band behind your teeth?

Yes, I have top and bottom permanent AND removable retainers. I don't mind, either. Given how much it took for me to get here, I don't think there is such a thing as too much retention.

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Conine-
You are a trooper for having the permanent wires and the retainers. I know we all want to keep our teeth from moving back and to preserve our new gorgeous smiles.

I am still loving the freedom of nothing on during the day.

[Butterfingers]

I just finished an express Invisalign treatment (10 aligners), and I asked for fixed retainers. I had a fixed retainer before (12 years ago) on my bottom teeth, but I had it removed in 2005 due to tartar buildup. The one I had 12 years ago rarely bothered me...I knew it was there when I touched it with my tongue...no big deal. With these new retainers, I can feel their odd presence due to the buildup of cement and glue compund that was applied to affix them. They feel clunky. After I had them done, I could hardly close my mouth, and my bite felt off. My orthodontist told me that I will get used to [it]... Now, I can close my mouth, but I'm forcing it, more like clenching. I hope I made the right decision in getting them.

I chose the fixed retainer because I had a good experience before. However, once I had it removed, I was given a plastic retainer. I hardly wore it because it badly hurt my lower gums. So, since I didn't wear it often, my bottom teeth shifted. Also, after the Invisalign experience, I prefer not to deal with any more plastic trays and retainers in my mouth.

On another note, my teeth look nice.

[Butterfingers]

This is a follow-up to the post I submitted earlier. The top fixed retainer I received today became loose while I was flossing. I pulled on it, and it came off. In the meantime, I'm wearing the last Invisalign retainer that I removed today. I totally didn't expect to use this again. I'm miffed about this, and I don't think that I will go for the fixed retainer on the upper teeth again. ...maybe I'll opt for a Hawley retainer. I hope I don't get charged for it...

I guess this is a blessing in disguise...that fixed retainer on the top teeth was not comfortable. As I mentioned in a previous post, I felt like I was clenching my mouth just to keep it closed because my bite felt off. While I ate, chewing was awkward. I bit my bottom lip a couple of times...so, I ended up swallowing partially chewed food. Also, I had an IPR done on my two front teeth (to get rid of the black triangle in between) at the beginning of the Invisalign treatment. I still see a tiny black triangle, and according to the video that I was shown at the beginning of my treatment, that wasn't the end result. I should have addressed that with the orthodontist before the dental assistant put the fixed retainer on my top teeth. I questioned myself as to why the orthodontist didn't say anything about it, since the black triangle was one main issue I wanted fixed.

I left a voicemail message tonight for the orthodontist. I'm curious to find out what happens next...what type of retainer will I end up with? I already expressed to her that I didn't want the plastic one.

[Butterfingers]

With these new retainers, I can feel their odd presence due to the buildup of cement and glue compund that was applied to affix them. They feel clunky.

Edited to state that compund should have been compound.

[Butterfingers]

[quote="Butterfingers"] In the meantime, I'm wearing the last Invisalign retainer that I removed today. I totally didn't expect to use this again.

OK, I'll stop with the editing for tonight, but I'm wearing an Invisalign aligner (tray), not a retainer.

[Butterfingers]

This is a follow-up to the post I submitted earlier. The top fixed retainer I received today became loose while I was flossing. I pulled on it, and it came off. In the meantime, I'm wearing the last Invisalign retainer that I removed today. I totally didn't expect to use this again. I'm miffed about this, and I don't think that I will go for the fixed retainer on the upper teeth again. ...maybe I'll opt for a Hawley retainer. I hope I don't get charged for it...

I went to the orthodontist's office last Thursday (7/26/12), and I requested the Hawley's retainer. I had molds taken of my top teeth. I'm told it takes three weeks for it to arrive, so I have been wearing the last Invisalign tray I received (at night).

Last night, as I was flossing, the bottom retainer came loose! I pulled on it to see if it would come off like the top one did. It did not! So, I have been dealing with an unsecured piece of wire poking me inside my mouth. I took the last Invisalign tray (for the bottom teeth) and placed it on top of fixed retainer. It didn't fit properly and interfered with my front teeth. My speech is affected, and I cannot chew foods without being poked with the wire. This morning, I called the orthodontist's office to get an emergency appointment. It's scheduled for this afternoon, and I plan to request its removal.

[BraceFace2o1o]

Hi Butterfingers. I assume you have just got your upper hawley, how are you finding it? What type of retainer are you now going to have for the lowers as in your previous post you mentioned you wanted the permanent lower retainer removed too

[Suhrman]

I know how you feel. I'm actually used to it now having it for 11 years but each time I cut the tip of my tongue I blame it on that damn wire. I'll tell you right now that it's unnecessary to wear a retainer on the top set whether it's glued on or the kind you put on and take off because at least for me, I've never used mine since like a month after they came off and my top set hasn't reverted back at all. Now the bottom might since it moves more than the top but I'm honestly willing to risk it I think.

Is there anyways to weaken the grip the glue has? If I could I'd pry it off but I don't want to damage my teeth.