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How long should one wear retainers after getting braces off?
- Thread starter tuna on toast
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My dog ate it after a couple of years. Whatever
Escape Goat
Member
I bet it has a great smile.
Kitsunebaby
Member
When I got my braces off, my teeth didn't really fit together comfortably. I was tired of this and so I took them off so the teeth could shift into a more natural position. My teeth are still straight enough, so it's all good. I should probably get my wisdom teeth removed before they start moving again and mess up my alignment.
davepoobond
you can't put a price on sparks
No. Water deposits will build up very fast in a dishwasher. There's probably some special solutions your orthodontist can recommend for soaking in.
Mine told me to brush it and that was it. I didn't remember the solution they said they used to clean it at the office when I went in for a check up. The taste of the retainer every time I put it in my mouth was absolutely terrible, and the stench before I did. Wow.
The saliva just soaks into it and there's not much you can do at a certain point. Maybe if you start soaking it all the time at the beginning it might not get that bad but I can't see how it doesn't get to that point after using it for 5 or even 10 years. You're going to have to replace it eventually.
I just threw it away after not using it for a year.
J-Roderton
Member
I've had my braces off for around 10 years. I think I wore my retainer for a month or two.
electricshake
Member
I was given metal retainers to wear at night for like 6 or 12 months. Got my braces off 10+ years ago and apart from a slight gap between my front teeth I've not noticed any movement.
Auron_Kale
Member
Supposed to be forever but I've been kinda neglecting mine for the past year or so.
My dentist has noted the shifting - both in my top and on my bottom (which has a permanent wire glued to my front teeth) and thinks I could do a short stint of wearing Invisalign to get them into place.
Top one still fits though due to the movement, it's kinda tight and there is discomfort when I have it on but I normally feel better with it on.
I use denture cleaner tablets to clean my retainer.
My dentist has noted the shifting - both in my top and on my bottom (which has a permanent wire glued to my front teeth) and thinks I could do a short stint of wearing Invisalign to get them into place.
Top one still fits though due to the movement, it's kinda tight and there is discomfort when I have it on but I normally feel better with it on.
I use denture cleaner tablets to clean my retainer.
I haven't even been wearing mine pretty much since I got them a few years ago. I feel really bad about it. My teeth are still fine but obviously not as straight as they should be. Can't really tell unless I rub my tongue against the back of them. It was free cos NHS but if I get the braces and whatnot again (is it possible?) It'll cost now.
Forever. My bottom one broke and my bottom teeth became shit again. We couldn't afford to get it fixed at the time and the orthodontist was on a vacation week. Worst time. Feel bad for wasting my parents money.
what's amazing is a permanent retainer.
I have a single wire arc that sits behind my lower front 6 teeth. I have had it for over 20 years, apparently this was a fairly cutting edge approach at the time.
My teeth are still very straight with no issues after all this time, no plastic retainer.
For those with plastic retainers...suggest you use denture tablets.
I have a single wire arc that sits behind my lower front 6 teeth. I have had it for over 20 years, apparently this was a fairly cutting edge approach at the time.
My teeth are still very straight with no issues after all this time, no plastic retainer.
For those with plastic retainers...suggest you use denture tablets.
The_Hitcher89
Member
Let's reminisce about how fucking shitty the experience of having braces is
-The pain when they're tightened and you try eating
-Had a thick wire bridge running straight from the back of the left side of the top row of teeth to the right. Wasn't wired properly in place on on eo fthe sides, came loose when eating and stabbed into my gum
-The difficulty talking
-The ulcers on the insides of the lips
The results are worth it, and I guess I'm lucky to have had it available to me for a minimal fee, but still. What a pain in thearsemouth
-The pain when they're tightened and you try eating
-Had a thick wire bridge running straight from the back of the left side of the top row of teeth to the right. Wasn't wired properly in place on on eo fthe sides, came loose when eating and stabbed into my gum
-The difficulty talking
-The ulcers on the insides of the lips
The results are worth it, and I guess I'm lucky to have had it available to me for a minimal fee, but still. What a pain in the
I experienced all of those except the bolded, which was weird. My braces had this self-adjusting mechanism which automatically tightened themselves as the teeth move into position so my ortho didn't have to manually do it much. The result is that I don't actually feel much soreness let alone pain. What's annoying is because it was self-tightening, the wire gets pushed more and more behind so every now and then it poked the insides of my mouth and had to be cut or else I'll get mouth ulcers (not fun!)
I'm also glad at how well-placed the braces were. My ortho placed them slightly a bit to the top and bottom of my lips that unless I laughed really hard, most people didn't notice them at all. It's such a relief taking them off though. At the end of my tenure wearing it, I was so sick of it poking out and how difficult it was to clean my teeth. Things got stucked around the wire, etc. But now it's off, I can appreciate the result. It really does re-shape the profile of your face to an extent. Along with the weight training, the effect of the braces really boosted my confidence more than I thought it would.
davepoobond
you can't put a price on sparks
Roof expansion is the worst
The_Hitcher89
Member
Dat shiny feeling of running your tongue across your teeth in the days after getting them removed.
Getting them manually tightened was really weird, you couldn't tell the difference at all, but the second something came into contact with them...
Christ.
It depends on the individual. Most of the time the answer is "forever."
However, some people can get away with wearing them once every two weeks. Some people once a week, and others maybe once every other day.
Basically, wear them every night after you get your braces out for 3-4 years straight. After that you can start to experiment, you leave them off for as long as you can until you reach a point where when you put them back in they feel tight, BUT still completely fit. That will be the maximum length of time you can go without wearing them for the rest of your life.
For me personally, I wear them every other day pretty much, or 4 days on, 3 days off (going on 6-7 years).
However, some people can get away with wearing them once every two weeks. Some people once a week, and others maybe once every other day.
Basically, wear them every night after you get your braces out for 3-4 years straight. After that you can start to experiment, you leave them off for as long as you can until you reach a point where when you put them back in they feel tight, BUT still completely fit. That will be the maximum length of time you can go without wearing them for the rest of your life.
For me personally, I wear them every other day pretty much, or 4 days on, 3 days off (going on 6-7 years).
NJDEN
Member
Forever...
I wore mine for awhile after braces, then like many others stopped... Now my teeth are slowly morphing back to crookedness as I lost my retainer and just figured I wouldn't need it. I wish I had known this would happen when I was a kid as I could have gotten another one for cheap on parents dental plan.
I don't think they will ever get as crooked as they once were, but still kinda sucks to see the progress of braces slowly trickle down the drain as I'm no longer on any dental plan that covers this stuff.
I wore mine for awhile after braces, then like many others stopped... Now my teeth are slowly morphing back to crookedness as I lost my retainer and just figured I wouldn't need it. I wish I had known this would happen when I was a kid as I could have gotten another one for cheap on parents dental plan.
I don't think they will ever get as crooked as they once were, but still kinda sucks to see the progress of braces slowly trickle down the drain as I'm no longer on any dental plan that covers this stuff.
I'd say forever to be safe. And if you're gonna neglect them even slightly, make sure you at least wear them moderately and don't ignore them completely.
I'm about to get braces, so I have no stories about myself. However, my ex had 2 beautiful rows of teeth after her treatment. Started saying fuck it to wearing her retainer, and then her teeth started shifting. She had to get braces again, visibly, they didn't seem to shift that much- but she had to get them for two years.. again.. lol.
I'm about to get braces, so I have no stories about myself. However, my ex had 2 beautiful rows of teeth after her treatment. Started saying fuck it to wearing her retainer, and then her teeth started shifting. She had to get braces again, visibly, they didn't seem to shift that much- but she had to get them for two years.. again.. lol.
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