Retainer in for 9 years?

[cherrypink]

Hi everyone

I had a train track type metal brace when I was 18. It was removed when I was 19 and I have had a metal retainer on the back of my front upper teeth, cemented in since then. I am wondering - should this metal bar have been removed or can it stay in indefinately? It is starting to come loose from one end and I have been trying to locate the dentist that originally did the treatment but I can't and new dentists don't seem to want to touch it.

Thankyou

[Sunny]

Cherrypink fixed retainers can stay in place indefinately, but they'll only work if they are attached. Since your one has come loose, you need to make an appointment with an orthodontist for either a new fixed retainer or a removable retainer, which ever you'd prefer. If you don't keep your teeth retained, they will move again, as teeth continue to move for as long as we're alive. I'm guessing that since you're nine years post braces, the most you'll need to wear your retainer is two or three nights a week.

Good luck!

[Zoso]

Yes, I will firmly echo the advice above.

Bonded retainers like this do eventually fail, and it sounds like yours has done so. Though you are having difficulty getting a dentist to work on this for you, it should certainly be possible to find an orthodontist who would be willing to do so. And I wholeheartedly agree that it would be wise, at the same time, to have removable retainers made, so that your teeth will not drift once the bonded retainer is removed. You'd be best-served if you had retainers made for both arches, since our teeth do drift over the years - this is true even if you never had braces. Since they would probably only be something you'd wear a couple of nights a week, and since they tend to last a lot longer, you'd probably do well with Hawley retainers - the type that has a metal wire on an acrylic plate.

[mikeg]

I have a hawley retainer and it is FOR LIFE! I take good care of it and wear it nightly...

[Zoso]

Mike - I am so fearful of being even a night without my retainer that I always write it in on a list of things not to forget in my last minute packing when I am travelling away from home!

[mikeg]

Mike - I am so fearful of being even a night without my retainer that I always write it in on a list of things not to forget in my last minute packing when I am travelling away from home!

hahaha... one time I dropped my case with my retianers on a plane and I went nuts trying to find it... found it and celebrated!

I am also a retainer nut now

[chris james]

hi all i stillat 35 wear my retainer most days and nights as if i dont it feels like something is missing i find it halps me sleep a lot better although i do still feel strang when people look at my retainer when i have it in
its better to keep it in and for teeth to stay in corect possition
better safe than sorry

[Sunny]

Chris I recommend you check with your ortho, as a persons teeth should settle so that the wearing of a retainers is only required a few nights a week. If your continued retainer wear isn't allowing your teeth to settle, it would be wise to have an x-ray, so that the roots of your teeth can be checked for resorption.

Hopefully all is fine, but I recently did some training in this area and it was stressed how important it is for the teeth to settle for the health of the roots.

Good luck!

[chris james]

hi sunny are you following me lol
right sorry for bit of confusion have been to the ortho very recently and had a very slight issue with my bite so he sorted that and now have a new retainer to hold them in place i have had new xrays done last week and all is good
i feel extra proud of my teeth as i have only one filling and two caps(from rugby playing when i was younger)
i