Which retainer is better?

[Naty]

Yesterday my ortho estimated that my braces will come off in about 3 month. Long way to go yet, after almost three years braced up. But he said I should decide which retainers I want. I can pick either Hawley or the ivisaline-like trays. And now I'm torn - I read that with Hawleys adjustments can be made if teeth start to shift; but my ortho said that the clear trays will keep teeth from shifting better than the Hawley ones. I am myself obsessive over details and would probably had my braces off sooner if I wasn't pointing out every little thing that looked not-so-ok to me, but my ortho was fine with. He said that if details matter so much to me, I should get the clear ones as they will keep teeth precisely in place.
I will need retainers on both upper and lower. I had my front lower teeth rotated by about 30% and had major spacing and overjet on top. I will also get veneers on two front upper teeth as I broke them off by falling down the stairs.
I know you can't have anything but water when wearing clear ones since they stain, but Hawleys are more flexible with that. I am also a smoker (I know, I know...) and usually sip coffee from 9 to noon as I'm a night owl and can't function in morning hours without java. My ortho said that I can allow that 3 hours of "guilty pleasure" with my retainers off. I will have to wear my retainers full time 6 month up to a year.
Anyway, to make a long story short, my ortho doesn't have a preference in which kind of retainers I should have as long as I wear them religiously.
To help make my decision I need to know how do Hawleys feel on bottom - they lay under the tounge, right (yuk)? And if I have clear on both how does it feel with plastic covering all the biting surfaces of the teeth? I am a bit of heavy biter and tend to clench my jaw when I sleep - won't that affect the shape and durability of clear retainers? And I also make a lot of calls at work and want to know which retainers have less chance of lisping.
I will go back to my ortho in 4 weeks for adjustment and will ask him more questions, but I do want to be prepared if he still shows no preference in either.

[mikeg]

I'd take the advice of your ortho and go with the clear trays...

Let's see some before/after

[Sunny]

I'd recommend the essix (clear trays) over the hawleys for keeping your teeth in place. Plus if you ever need your teeth moved, you'd need moulds and changes made, so the hawley retainer you had made to fit your moulds at the time of getting your braces off, shouldn't be used to do the job.

The only time we recommend a hawley type over an essix type, is if the patient has had an open bite.

The essix type retainers are also best for clenchers and grinders, as it means you can't damage your teeth or push them too hard, which may cause them to mean. People who clench/grind often are prescribed an essix type retainer to help with this problem. Most important, you need to find out why you're doing this and find ways to stop it. Check your stress levels or maybe you need to talk to your doctor about some form of relaxant.

Retainers will cause most people to lisp a little when they first get them, due to the need for the mouth to adjust to having something different in it. Many professional people are treated with invisalign ... so I guess that explains how quickly they adjust, as these are the people who spend most of their lives on phones, meeting etc.

Drinking hot liquids is not recommended with any type of retainer. Plus drinking or eating with a hawley will result in it smelling, so it's not recommended.

Remember most of your retainer wear will be at night only, while you're sleeping. The first 6-12 months will fly by ... but the rest of your life is when you won't need to be thinking about eating, drinking etc.

[ksmoguy]

My ortho gives you 2 retainers as a part of your fees. The first one is the clear invisalign type, then on the 2nd its your choice either a clear or a Hawley.

[livelavalive]

If you have an open bite or overjet, DO NOT GET THE ESSIX. The orthodontist gave me the Essix when I got my braces off and my teeth look worse now than they did 6 months ago. Now I'm too afraid to get new impressions done.

[Sunny]

Livelavalive ... essix retainers are great retainers, unless you have an open bite.

They are usually the retainer of choice by most ortho's due to patients being more compliant with a retainer that does a great job and is discreet.

You need to have your case attended to individually and find out what's happened and why.

[Phantom Muse]

My daughter started with an essix retainer, and because she has a "gentle bite" - which can lead to an open bite - her ortho watched carefully, and then made a switch to Hawley retainers before there was a problem.

It is important to be sure to be vigilant about retainer wear - and to take seriously the follow-up appointments where the ortho checks to be sure all is well!