Anyone ever had a Retainer??

Johnnytoxic

Johnnytoxic

Johnnytoxic

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My brace is due to come off next month after nearly 2years :) . It's been a long ride and I won't be missing the ammount of time it takes me to wash my teeth with about 3 different toothbrushes.

I will be wearing a retainer so just want to know what thats like and how long you have to wear it for?
 
I was given a retainer. Never worn it.

Teeth are still the same as the day my braces came off, so I reckon it's a dental conspiracy to get you to wear stupid things at night.
 
I used to have braces a long time back...probably about 20 odd yrs ago and remember wearing a retainer when my braces came off. It was kinda weird having it in your mouth but after a while you get used to it.

Think i wore mine for about 6 mths after my braces were taken off.
 
I know teeth can move out of position pretty quick. In the beginning I broke one of the wires and my tooth went out of position over night. I bet you can get away with it in the day and just jam in the retainer at night :) Probably wouldn't risk it though.

£2600 worth every penny :) Should have had it sorted when I was younger, saying that probably best waiting until 20's as your mouth and jaw would change in the teenage years.
 
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My braces came out last September, I had to wear a retainer for about 3 weeks 24hrs, and then every night from then on. Most orthodontists say 6 months to a year, I still wear mine now and after a day or so of not wearing it my teeth still slightly move apart so I will keep wearing it until I just can't be bothered anymore.

It doesn't really interfere with anything, if I am spending the night away it doesn't really effect it not wearing it for that amount of time. Although if you don't wear it for a couple of days then put it on, it aches a bit but that goes after 30mins - 1 hour.

One thing that did worry me about the first 2-3 weeks with it on full time was people seeing it but mine was clear and it really wasn't noticeable. If yours starts to get a bit grubby (and it will) leave it overnight in a tablet or 2 for dentures, then a brush with your toothbrush the next morning and will look much better.
 
iCraig said:
I was given a retainer. Never worn it.

Teeth are still the same as the day my braces came off, so I reckon it's a dental conspiracy to get you to wear stupid things at night.
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Surely that depends on the person?

I first had my teeth straightened with train tracks at 15, had a retainer to wear at night which I did and yet my teeth still moved.

I had them straightened again because I was developing a cross bite when I was 23 using the see through plastic braces that I had to wear for a minimum of 22 hours a day. When that stopped after a year of treatment they glued a metal bar to the back of my 4 front teeth.

However.....even with that, my teeth still shifted again and so I have had 2 different types of retainer since which I wear overnight and I'm now 26.

So no, it isn't a conspiracy.

Do yourself a favour and wear it otherwise all that time you spent wearing your real brace could be wasted.
 
had train tracks for two years, had a top retainer which didnt bother me, I quite liked playing with it in lessons etc. Had a bottom gumshield that I had to wear at night, gave up on that after a few months and my teeth moved. Not massively but enough so that my teeth weren't perfectly straight and the gum shield wouldn't even fit.
 
Wisdom teeth can be a major factor in teeth tectonics.

I was a student Registrar's case. I had train tracks on the outside top & bottom and internal brace on the inside too. Also had a lovely head contraption that connected in to apply additional pressure. I spent every thursday morning for two years in the dental hospital.. joy..

Then I had all four wisdom teeth out. A lower one was impacted and was growing along rather than up - pushing my now straightened teeth back into the previous crookedness. Once removed my teeth have stopped moving too.
 
Wear you retainer. I wore mine but then couldnt as I was hospitalised and they don't allow you wear them. So because I didn't wear it for 6 weeks my teeth starting moving. Gutted for me. Also gutting for me because my wisdom teeth are just coming through. It's going to be one painful couple of months.
 
I had one for aaaaaages instead of braces.

Doesn't hurt, just uncomfortable to chew with that's all :)
 
I had braces and an op on my jaw to realign and have to wear a retainer for as long as I can put up for it (been a year so far). I only need to put it in for a night twice a week though.
 
Yep i have to wear a retainer for as long as i want straight teeth :( . Its not so bad now been wearing a retainer every night since the age of 15, 24 now and i just get a new retainer every two years.
 
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my first love had braces when i met her i was with er for 2 years when she got them out i didn't notice. Still have yet to meet a girl that kisses as good as her....
 
I had braces ~4 years ago, and the retainers then were lame, it had a plastic palate that contoured the top of your mouth, and then wire going in front of the teeth. Now I believe they just have a plastic cover for your teeth.

To back up what people have said, your teeth are likely to move, and they move at some pace, so make sure you do wear it.

I have a permanent retainer now on my bottom teeth, going from K9 to K9. It's just a single wire on the back of the teeth, attached with the "cement" they use, there are no gaps to worry about cleaning and as they are on the back of your teeth you won't see them. I've had this retainer for 3/4 years now, and it's much better than the removable ones. So ask your orthodontist about this when you visit next.
 
I was supposed to wear mine for about 8 months after mine came off. Wore it for about 2 and my teeth have slowly started moving back so I'm regretting not wearing it now.
 
I had braces (train tracks) for about 2 years. I had them taken off and was given my retainer, and so I wore it for a while. Left it off for a couple of days because it really started to irritate me, and my teeth never fit back in it. Mind you, my teeth haven't moved back all that much - the problem that required braces has been fixed, anyway.
 
Longbow said:
I had braces ~4 years ago, and the retainers then were lame, it had a plastic palate that contoured the top of your mouth, and then wire going in front of the teeth. Now I believe they just have a plastic cover for your teeth.
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I think they are 2 different types as I have had them both. A retainer with the wire before I had train tracks then after the train tracks you have the gum shield like plastic cover which I had to put on at night.

I'm tempted to start going back the dentist and maybe ask how I can get my teeth straight again. But I don't want anything visible or permanent like some have. So I think they would tell me to put up with it.
 
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