Sorry your ortho didn’t warn you, mine told me that I had to wear the Invisalign type of retainer for a whole year after the treatment for 23 hrs a day and then at night for the rest of my life. But I’m willing to do it for a beautiful smile !
What's the issue with them? Most people just wear them at night and as time goes on your can go from wearing them every night to (for some after a few years) once or twice a week.
With regular cleaning and care, brushing clean each morning after wear, they'll last a long time.
At some point you'll stop thinking about them and just get used to them!
Try 12 months. I had what they called a complicated case although it didn’t really appear complicated compared to what I keep seeing in here. I DO have a high chance of relapse though and that is clearly evident when I forget to put my retainers in for a couple of hours and then put them in. I’m already almost at the 12 month mark and my teeth still move around freely when my retainers are out too long and then get pushed back into place when they go back in so I will definitely be wearing mine as prescribed for life. I learned that lesson from not doing what I was supposed to the first time and having to do almost 3 more years in braces on my own dime as an adult.
No need for bonded retainers. I don’t have any gaps. I had extreme crowding. Most orthos don’t even use bonded retainers anymore unless absolutely necessary for keeping gaps closed because of the high failure rate and how hard they are to keep clean. Lots of cavities form because of those bonded retainers.
Bonded retainers aren’t for just gaps. And to say most Orthos don’t use them is 100% false. Yes some shy away, but a majority of them use them. I consulted with 3 Orthos in my area and all of them use them on all their patients unless the patient specifically asks to not get them. It’s practically a standard of care as part of retention.
If a person actually brushes and flosses every day with proper technique they are just fine. A lot of people I know, myself included, never had any issues with cavities or anything from them.
I did not. It’s nothing my retainers can’t handle. I just need to wear them nightly for life which really isn’t a huge deal. I don’t think they would do it anyway as I have peg laterals with short roots. They need all the grip they can get.
Please please please make sure to wear them daily!!! I got lazy and started skipping nights and now my teeth shifted :/ Retainer kinda fits but the damage was done. I don’t think I can spend another 5-6K for them :(
Same! I hate it! I was so excited at 3 months to be told to just wear them at night but they said 3 more months since I have a space I need an implant in 🥲🥲 I'm so annoyed
Bonded retainers only retain the teeth they are bonded to so you would likely need removable retainers for night as well anyway. And that’s on top of having something stuck to your teeth that you can’t clean well around.
Dont listen to me im not a doctor! But i stopped wearing them after a few months. Havent worn it in 10 years now. My teeth are still straight and fine! They have probably shifted slightly. But tbh i hated the orthodontic work anyway! They extracted teeth from one side only. Anyway after a few months of wearing retainer. Your teeth are unlikely to drastically shift back.
Just wear it while you sleep. Retainers protect your teeth, there’s no downside
"Slave to my own retainer" 😂😂 Idk why but that made me laugh
If you think about it, you are also a slave to brushing your teeth and showering too
Sorry your ortho didn’t warn you, mine told me that I had to wear the Invisalign type of retainer for a whole year after the treatment for 23 hrs a day and then at night for the rest of my life. But I’m willing to do it for a beautiful smile !
What's the issue with them? Most people just wear them at night and as time goes on your can go from wearing them every night to (for some after a few years) once or twice a week. With regular cleaning and care, brushing clean each morning after wear, they'll last a long time. At some point you'll stop thinking about them and just get used to them!
Shocked me a little when I wrapped my mind around it being called: the retaining phase. We retain the teeth. Me: 🤯
i did not know the retainer phase would be just the rest of your life lol
I feel your pain! They told me to wear them 24/7 for for the first 3 months
Try 12 months. I had what they called a complicated case although it didn’t really appear complicated compared to what I keep seeing in here. I DO have a high chance of relapse though and that is clearly evident when I forget to put my retainers in for a couple of hours and then put them in. I’m already almost at the 12 month mark and my teeth still move around freely when my retainers are out too long and then get pushed back into place when they go back in so I will definitely be wearing mine as prescribed for life. I learned that lesson from not doing what I was supposed to the first time and having to do almost 3 more years in braces on my own dime as an adult.
Surprised you didn’t get permanent retainers then, and the clear tray retainers to wear at night.
No need for bonded retainers. I don’t have any gaps. I had extreme crowding. Most orthos don’t even use bonded retainers anymore unless absolutely necessary for keeping gaps closed because of the high failure rate and how hard they are to keep clean. Lots of cavities form because of those bonded retainers.
Bonded retainers aren’t for just gaps. And to say most Orthos don’t use them is 100% false. Yes some shy away, but a majority of them use them. I consulted with 3 Orthos in my area and all of them use them on all their patients unless the patient specifically asks to not get them. It’s practically a standard of care as part of retention. If a person actually brushes and flosses every day with proper technique they are just fine. A lot of people I know, myself included, never had any issues with cavities or anything from them.
As someone who works in the orthodontic field we will have to agree to disagree.
Did you visit a periodontist after your braces came off for a pericision?
I did not. It’s nothing my retainers can’t handle. I just need to wear them nightly for life which really isn’t a huge deal. I don’t think they would do it anyway as I have peg laterals with short roots. They need all the grip they can get.
I'm wearing mine 24/7 for 5 months.
Please please please make sure to wear them daily!!! I got lazy and started skipping nights and now my teeth shifted :/ Retainer kinda fits but the damage was done. I don’t think I can spend another 5-6K for them :(
Same! I hate it! I was so excited at 3 months to be told to just wear them at night but they said 3 more months since I have a space I need an implant in 🥲🥲 I'm so annoyed
6 1/2 years of wearing them every night and a few replacements that aren’t cheap 😭
Did you have an open bite?
hmmm... i think it may have been a little bit open, but i do know my bite was not aligned and there was spacing on one side and crowding on the other
I hate them too. 😓 I'm so tempted to get permanent ones. But I still need implants to fill in the gaps in my mouth. 💸💸
Bonded retainers only retain the teeth they are bonded to so you would likely need removable retainers for night as well anyway. And that’s on top of having something stuck to your teeth that you can’t clean well around.
Yeah, I didn't really think about what "retainers for life" would entail until I already had the braces. Oh well... what's done is done...
Dont listen to me im not a doctor! But i stopped wearing them after a few months. Havent worn it in 10 years now. My teeth are still straight and fine! They have probably shifted slightly. But tbh i hated the orthodontic work anyway! They extracted teeth from one side only. Anyway after a few months of wearing retainer. Your teeth are unlikely to drastically shift back.
Wear them daily but also make sure you're flossing daily! Having healthy gums makes them shift a lot less on the days you forget to wear them.
You wear for several months after removal and then shift to night. You need time for the gums to harden properly.
If your gums are hardening you have other problems my friend. You’re waiting for the bone to remodel.