Orthodonic Retainer Advice

[Rora]

Tell them my story:

I had braces on from probably 3rd grade-7th grade. Then they came off and my teeth were PERFECT. Seriously, I had very pretty teeth. I wore my retainer when I was supposed to during the day and at night for a long time.

Then high school came and I didn't have to wear it anymore. I'd wear it sometimes at night (or I tried to at least). College hit and I lost all motivation to wear my retainer. I'm 23 and my teeth have certainly shifted. Only a couple have shifted slightly but it is noticable! I look at pictures from high school and pictures from today and I can notice a BIG difference.

Keep nagging!! It's so worth it in the end! I've just started wearing my retainer again but my orthodontist told me that my teeth will never be the way they were before unless I get braces AGAIN.

Good luck OP!

 

[landshark]

I got my braces off over two years ago and knew I wouldn't be able to wear my retainers as much as they wanted me to. I couldn't talk properly with them in and didn't have the time to practice and hope they'd work. There was no way I was wearing them to work so I just wore them at night, which was fine--my ortho didn't seem to notice. Unfortunately I woke up almost every morning dry heaving because they made me gag so badly. I felt so miserable that I just stopped wearing them.

I still pop the top one in now and then, but my teeth did shift back. I don't think it's as bad as they were before braces, but there's definitely change. The bottom retainer won't fit unless I push it down enough to hold on by itself. Even wearing them overnight I can notice a shift back into place by morning, but I doubt they'll ever go back to how nice and pretty they were when the braces came off.

I regret not wearing them more, but I didn't know what to do at the time and I think it's too late for minor fixes. I've even considered breaking down and getting my wisdom teeth pulled (like they wanted to do before I got braces put on) to see if that'd help at all.

 

[Desiree]

Funny you should mention this. My dd (soon to be 16) just got her braces off Monday and they put permanent retainers in at the same time. I knew that I couldn't rely on her judgement to wear them as she was supposed too. Heck, I had a hard enough time staying on her about putting her rubber bands in. So we opted for the permanent retainer. And as far as me and my money are concerned.... Best. Decision. Ever!

I, also, wore braces for 2 years and never wore my retainer so my bottom teeth went back to the way they looked pre-braces. I'm contemplating on getting them again now that I'm much older and hopefully, more wiser!

 

[savannahcat]

I had braces for 2 years as an adult and wore my retainer faithfully until I became pregnant with my first child. I was so sick with that pregnancy that I could NOT wear the retainer at all. By the time I gave birth, my teeth had shifted enough that the retainer no longer fit. I wish the orthodontist had given me a permanent one instead!

 

[dairyou]

I made the appointment at the orthodontist. You talked me into it The cost will be 225.00. Ugh.
My DS 18 is going off to college next year. I'll be lucky if he doesn't loose it. What can you do though They think they are smarter than us.

Deb

 

[Imzadi]

I made the appointment at the orthodontist. You talked me into it The cost will be 225.00. Ugh.
My DS 18 is going off to college next year. I'll be lucky if he doesn't loose it. What can you do though They think they are smarter than us.

Deb

I think part of the mentality is that now that they finally have gotten the braces off, they don't want to put something else in their mouth.

The other (incorrect) thought is: if you only have to wear it half the day, at night, how effective can it really be? Probably not very. So it won't matter if you don't wear it at all.

 

[minkydog]

DS23 had his braces taken off when he was 16 for non-compliance. He never brushed his teeth and when the braces came off he had 14 cavities in his front teeth. Cost me an arm and a leg to get all that fixed. Then he threw away the retainer. His teeth started shifting almost immediately, not to where they were before but he had a small separation between the front teeth and a small overbite. When he was 19 he announced "Mom, I need braces to move my teeth back!" As if! I was so done with that. I told him to come up with $4500 and he could certainly buy himself some braces.

When DD16 came into her braces the first thing DS did was tell her "Whatever you do, brush your teeth and wear your retainer!" And she has. She has beautiful straight teeth.

 

[Ronda93]

DF's daughter got hers off at 16 and thought the retainer was stupid. By graduation she had a gap like Robert Morse.

To throw that kind of cash away would really sting.

Ronda