Retainers question - Is bonding wires to back of front 2 teeth only option?

[sushesh]

Hi,

I will be finishing my invisalign next month and will sure be having some refinements. But after that comes the retainment part. I had over bite and I am very pleased with the results and now it's looking great.

In this forum, I read lot about the types of retainers. Is bonding wires for the front 2 teeth is the only option as retainers? Will there be issue if I have removable retainers ? I wanted to be prepared for this and check my options before speaking to doctor.

Please guide me. Also, is there any major disadvantages of having wires attached to back of 2 front teeth? Will there be change in speech ? eating restrictions ? etc?

Thanks,
S

[Weeeyin]

I'm getting retainers just like invisalign that are invisible but a bit thicker than invisalign as they're stronger and to wear them minimum of 12 hours a day. My ortho gets them made in the "in house" lab, same day. I'd not be happy with bonded wires unless it was really necessary, i'd of happily had removable wire type retainers if that was the wire option.

[Sunny]

Sushesh there are many options when it comes to retainers and your ortho will recommend what s/he considers is best for you.

The main types of retainers are essix (similar to invisalign aligners), hawleys (removabel with the wire that runs across the front of your teeth) and bonded retainers, that are bonded to the back of some of your front teeth ... maybe keeping four, six or eight teeth firmly in place.

My ortho has recommended I have a gold wire bonded to my lower and uppers, due to having so much movement necessary in that area. I'm thrilled, as I know that the bonded retainers will keep everything tightly in place and I won't need to be concerned about 'when and where' to wear my removable retainers while I have them there. I'll also have removable retainers, and my ortho is still trying to decide which will be best for me.

Ask your ortho about your options and why one type would be recommended over another. Finally ... if you trust your ortho, trust them to also want your teeth to remain in the best place for you, with the best type of retainer for you. What they need from you is a commitment to life time wear!

[bmueller]

I had a permanent wire retainer. It was great that I didn't have to be responsible for it, but the teeth were hard to clean and would collect plaque.