What my ortho told me about my retainer.......

[88oscar]

Ive got my essix retainer today and my ortho told me to wear it just at night time every night for the first 3 months and then switch to 2/3 nights per week?

Shouldnt i be wearing it full time day and night for the first 3 months?
Should i ignore what he said and wear it full time for 3 months as i heard others have been advised to wear it full time for 3 months too.
I would hate to have a relapse.

[Bikerchick85]

I think I would probably wear it full time anyway! Who wants to pay for braces again!! (I am on my THIRD time with them, but not from lack of retainer wear.) I'd say it would depend on what type of bite you had to start with, as the essix retainers can open a bite. But I wouldn't think your ortho would've prescribed essix if you had an open bite to start with?? Just my two cents! BTW.. congrats on getting them off!! I'm sooo jealous!!

[kennyandrew85]

No harm in wearing it every night, I certainly will be!

I'm going to buy a spare also in case I break/lose my current one, I really am never going through 2 years of braces again for sure.

[jem]

Good idea to get a spare one Kenny. Shortly after getting his braces off,my son lost his retainers whilst on a lads holiday in Crete and his teeth moved slightly. His ortho had not kept the models of his teeth that the original retainers were made from, so he had to have new impressions with his teeth in their slightly moved position. So losing his retainers means that his teeth will never be quite as straight as when his braces came off.

By the way, your teeth looked fantastic in your recent photo. Men on this board are in a pretty small minority and you are a great example to other young men of how worthwhile getting braces can be.

Jem

[margarets]

As a relapse case, I say; wear it full-time for several months, and then every night forever. Skip a night here & there, sure, but the best retention strategy is just ABR (always be retaining!).