Retainer Question

[maxhammer]

My ortho wants to use an invisalign type retainer that I put on each night. I tend to tongue thrust. Do you think a permanent retainer would be a better option, or will the one he wants to use be okay? Could someone give me the pros and cons of each type? Thanks.

[Coffeeguy]

Option number 3? If you have a problem with tongue thrust you might want to consider a hawley retainer with a habit attachment--it's a metal bar, or roller, coming up and out of the acrylic to remind your tongue not to do that. With permanent retainers, you're looking at some hygiene issues. I've read that it is hard to floss and food particles can get caught in there. With an invisible retainer, you don't have the hygiene issues but they will wear out.

[Zach2k]

I would strongly recommend against a 'permanent' retainer - if by that you mean retainers attached to the back of your teeth. I remember reading an article where tongue thrusting in particular will push teeth out of place even with the lingual retainers.

I've just had one year of lingual retainers and although it was initially nice, it turned into a nightmare. Couldnt floss, constant bleeding, food, bad breath, always thinking about what can I bite into etc.

Not only that with 'permanent' lingual retainers if your tongue pushes your teeth out of place, how will you get them back into place? I dont think I have tongue thrust but even then my teeth moved out of place with the 'permament' retainers. i know this because my ortho ordered vivera for me and when she took the lingual retainers off the vivera wouldnt fit! Even though they were made from the same mould as my last invisialign trays. Luckily for me I kept all my trays and after some cleaning I'm having to 'reinvisalign' myself (had to go back 3 trays, my teeth had shifted that much).

What your ortho is suggesting maybe vivera - now they may be a good idea given your situation, as they give new ones every few months. So even if your teeth move (slightly) between vivera sets the new set should hopefully move them back into place.

I'm not too familiar with the hawley suggestion mentioned above but it sounds specific to tongue thrust problem so you may want to look into that.

[BraceFace23]

Are we allowed to choose what sort of retainer we want? i really want a Hawley(wire) one..