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I think if most orthos were going purely on personal choice we'd be seeing a lot more patients vehemently complaining about their orthodontist's choice of retainers for them, since I would assume that any who wanted the very best retention option would be likely to be foisting combinations of Hawleys and spring retainers on us. Of course, since "Essix" can be fabricated in house by many practitioners, this can make them a very cost-effective choice (which undoubtedly could influence some doctors) and they tend to be preferred by a lot of patients who do not want to deal with visible retainers after so long in braces.
Zeocin had the right of it that bonded retainers are an excellent choice where teeth have been de-rotated, and they are also a great option where teeth have been brought through some considerable vertical distance into the arch (if you think about the degrees of freedom over which a Hawley or "Essix" has a measure of control, it makes sense that in the vertical dimension the bonded retainer will be superior) Another point not raised is that "Essix" type retainers are a poor choice where an open bite has been treated, as they can tend to contribute to a tendency for that condition to relapse.
I agree though that this is a great topic for discussion with your ortho. It may be that he is offering one type of retainer because it is what he has found in the long run to be acceptible to most of his patients, but he may in fact prefer another type if he knew you were willing to comply with its wear. On the other hand, as Zeocin noted, it may be that he has strong reasons for his choice of retention in your case, and you would be better off to go with the plan; but at least if you know why then a less than totally palatible plan will probably be more bearable.
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