The orthodontic texts still suggest 24/7 for a year, but clearly a lot of people are given retainer-wear instructions that do not involve such a protracted period of full time wear, and yet still have good retention. This is, after all, the human body we are talking about, and I am afraid that means that what is true for one peron might not be true for another, so it's not a failing on your dentist's part that he cannot give you a cast iron answer.
As to which retainer lasts the longest, that is the Hawley, and for most patients, a Hawley is also a better choice than the invisible tray type of retainer. As to bonded retainers: they are generally only attached to the front four or six teeth, so if you need to consider the back teeth, they are not enough on their own. They are, though, the best in terms of preventing teeth from rotating back if they needed to be rotated to be correctly positioned, and they are also good for situations such as canines that have had to be brought down through a considerable distance to be in line.


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