Got braces off, but no retainer...

[eightyfour]

Hi. I'm 18, have been wearing braces for 1 year and my teeth are miles straighter than before and I'm happy with them... however when I got my braces off in the ortho, the lab (who make the retainers etc.) put in the wrong retainer so my ortho said "we'll get you in next week you'll have to go a week without a retainer" because they'd already took my braces off.

it's one day after but I don't trust her quite frankly. She rushes things too much and I fear any of the following:

-When I go back in 6 days, my retainer won't fit, forcing me to get braces put back on (while they send for a new retainer)
-They will hurt alot when I put my retainer in (assuming it fits)
-My teeth won't be the same as they are now...

I asked one of the helpers when I was there and they said it'd be okay, but my mind isn't at ease and I'm worrying too much about it... constantly feeling as if my teeth have moved 3 metres! Will it be okay?

[Phantom Muse]

Your retainer will move your teeth back to where they were when they took your impressions right after removing your braces. My daughter had to wait 2 weeks for her retainers, and all was well.

I can understand feeling insecure about going without the retainers right now. Might I suggest that you call the ortho's office daily to see if they can squeeze you in for an appointment sooner rather than later? Hopefully your ortho will be responsive to your request and set your mind at ease.

Good luck!

[eightyfour]

That's all I really needed... if your daughter could go more than a week without then I can go a wee cheeky week . Thanks!

[Sunny]

It's great that your teeth are naked and it's totally usual to have to wait a week or two to get retainers. Where I work it usually takes up to a week for our lab to make the retainers, sometimes a little longer if they're very busy. The teeth may move a little during that time, but the bone will not have reformed around the roots, so they easily go to where they need to be when the retainers are worn.

The important thing to remember is that retainers are for life ... or for as long as you want your teeth to look like they are now. If you stop wearing your retainer for three or four nights a week, expect your teeth to move.

Good luck!

[Salv]

Lets just say if I removed my retainer (i dont have one, i still have braces) for a few hours in a day, would that make a difference.
eg. in the 2-4 hours i have college, or the 3h+ i go out and socialise, surely having them in for around 18 hours in a day won't move them back? would they? Or must i wear them 24/7 everyday?

[Sunny]

It shouldn't Salv, but ask your ortho what is recommended for you.

For most of our patients they're instructed to wear their retainers full time for between 3 and 12 months, then every night for life ... or at least three nights a week for life. Many of our patients have bonded retainers behind both their upper and lower teeth, which means that there full time retainer wear is reduced dramatically, but it's still retainers at night for life ... or at least three nights a week for life.

Once the bone around the roots of your teeth has become stable, retainer wear is about keeping your teeth where they were when your braces were removed ... and this is why night time (8 hours) is so important for life.

Good luck!

[ports]

With the damon system (or Lotus).. my ortho told me that a retainer wouldn't be necessary because they would bond a wire behind the teeth, permanently.. is that true?

[josie]

ports, that is called a permanent retainer and yes, it is v effective at keeping teeth in place long-term.

Whether it replaces a Hawley or Essix retainer, I'm not sure - my ortho has said that I'll need to have a Hawley or Essix at first for a few months and then have bonded retainers on upper and lower. I am quite against the idea of permanent retainers though, and have said that I'm prepared to keep wearing my removable ones at night rather than have permanent ones in. This is my personal preference.

It might depend on how far out of position your teeth are and your individual situation as to whether you can just have permanent retainers or will need to have a period of essix/hawley first - I'd ask your ortho.

[coconut]

I am quite against the idea of permanent retainers though, and have said that I'm prepared to keep wearing my removable ones at night rather than have permanent ones in. This is my personal preference.

I'd be looking to your ortho to guide you on the most suitable retention for your case. I would have preferred not to have bonded retainers, but in my case maintaining the height of certain teeth was as important as keeping them aligned.

[Sunny]

There's no such thing as a permanent retainer. The wire that can be bonded behind teeth, has nothing to do with the type of brackets or type of treatment your ortho uses, but instead it's about the type of movement and/or preference of the ortho and patient.

The wire behind the teeth is a bonded retainer and due to it being worn 24 hours a day it has the highest success rate (with holding the teeth it's bonded to), as long as you have good oral hygiene. There are issues with all retainers and this includes the bonded ones. The main issue is that the bonding can come off and that puts any teeth no longer bonded, in as much risk as the other non bonded teeth.

Bonded retainers are also great for people who've had a lot of movement, gaps closed, teeth rotated and teeth moved vertically. Removable retainers stretch and therefore have less success at 'holding' these types of movement long term. A bonded retainer that is in place 24 hours a day will keep these teeth in place.

It's important to have removable retainers included with the bonded retainers, as these retainers are required to keep all teeth that aren't bonded where they need to be.