|
Bonded retainers aren't all that bad - nowhere near the bulk of braces and not at all uncomfortable; just a little bit of a nuisance for flossing. One down side is that they are only placed on a limited subset of the teeth - 3-3 (that is canine to canine) is most common, and even just 2-2 (lateral to lateral) sometimes, especially on the upper arch. Though they are more common on the lower arch, they are indeed used on the uppers sometimes, and can be very good in certain scenarios - for example if a patient has had impacted canines brought down, and these start to move upwards again, a bonded retainer is an excellent way to arrest that. And a bonded retainer can also be good if a tooth is rotating when using other retention methods.
In terms of the most common removable retainers, the Hawley (an acrylic plate, moulded to the palate and right up to the backs of the teeth, with a wire that runs in front of the teeth) is often seen as preferable to the thermoplastic moulded trays (commonly referred to as "Essix" although this is just a brand name, just as the term "googling" has become a catch-all term for searching, even if someone is using Yahoo search!) in terms of function, but many orthos will use the trays as a matter of course, recognising that many patients prefer not to have to wear a visible retainer. The trays are also a poor choice if the patient has been treated for a posterior open bite, as they can tend to exacerbate any tendency for relapse in that case.
My advice to you, Samantha, echoes that of Mariah: just ask your ortho what he has in mind, and let him know your preferences. But do listen if he has a strong preference for a particular retainer for you based on what treatment you've had.
|