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Braces question

Does everyone who has worn a brace need to wear a retainer afterwards? Are there ever any exceptions?

Also, is it possible to get clear retainers?

Reply 1

Auditt123

hehe_88

Does everyone who has worn a brace need to wear a retainer afterwards? Are there ever any exceptions?

Also, is it possible to get clear retainers?

I think most people have to wear a retainer, not sure if everyone has to though.

You can get clear retainers, but it is difficult to keep them clear. The best ones are a translucent red/pink which you can't see in the mouth. Often though, you won't get a choice of colour for your retainer. Hope that helps.

Reply 2

x-suzy-x

I think the majority of people have to wear a retainer after they have their fixed braces removed, in order to stop the teeth moving back to the position they were in before treatment (or at least that is what I have been told)

Reply 3

hantsbay

Unless you have very good teeth and have only had the brace a short period of time, you'll most likely need one. The only other reason to excuse you is if you have epilepsy or similar in which case there's a potential for you to choke on the retainer itself - however, many people only need wear their retainer at night.

Mine is clear and I'm supposed to wear it all the time but it makes me gag - it's easy to keep it clear though, provided you don't use "retainer brite" (useless)... I use Steradent extra strength tablets once or twice a week which are about £1 for a tube of twenty (they're super strong!).

I had fixed braces for nearly five years and I coped with them fine - I've had the retainer almost 18 months now and find it sharp, but a lot of my friends are fine with theirs.

HTH.

Reply 4

~Jinxes~

8

Yep, you most likely will have to wear a retainer, but it does vary. For example, some people will have to wear it all the time, and some (like me) will only have to wear it at night. Also, you can either get a free NHS retainer which is like a mould of the top of your mouth, with wires, or alternatively if you go private/cosmetic, there are clear retainers which are a mould of your teeth, you wear it like a second enamel if that makes sense. You can't see it (hardly at all) but it's blimmin expensive. Finally, the amount you have to wear your retainer will reduce with time, I only have to wear mine twice a week at night now. xxx

Reply 5

woeful_infatuation

2

my brother just got retainers two weeks ago and my friend got hers two years ago.. as far as i know eveyrbody needs to wear retainers after they get theri braces off to prevent the treatment to have been in vain and to prevent the teeth to retutning to their orinignal positions.. the teeth are loose so retainers have to be worn to secure them in a way..

Reply 6

apricot

10

i only need to wear mine at night and i think everyone has to wear them, like everyone keeps saying to stop the teeth from moving to original position

Reply 7

Talya

16

I wore a retainer first all the time, then only a night, then only a few nights a week, I've stopped wearing it altogether now. (3 years after having them off)

A friend of mine didn't wear her retainer and teeth went straight back to how they were before braces... Be warned!

Reply 8

u_cheeky_girl

even if you are given a choice i would def wear a retainer! i had braces and a retainer and my teeth still slipped back alittle... still lots better tho. ive seen people who didnt bother at all and their teeth slipped back what a waste of like 2 years wearing a brace for nothing?!

Reply 9

quintsy

17

I had my brace taken off a few weeks ago, and I have to wear retainers all the time for 6 months; then only at night for maybe 6 months; and then I'll just have a wire at the back of my teeth (which they put in on Friday), which will stop them moving when my jaw continues to grow. Apparently I have to wear this until possibly my late twenties(!)

I got clear ones which are basically an outline of my teeth, and don't cover your palate, so they don't make a difference to your speech (I initially had one which covered my palate before the fixed brace, and that was really hard to talk with). I'm with the NHS, so you don't have to pay to get clear ones.

Good luck! :smile:

Reply 10

SkinnyJeans

hantsbay

I had fixed braces for nearly five years

You deserve a medal.

I wore my retainer every night for over 6 months I think.. and to be honest I have to say my teeth have still moved back a little bit, they are not in the condition they were when my braces were first taken off. I guess when you're teeth have been growing in the same position for over a decade, a couple of years pushing them away isn't enough to make them stay that way, they will always move back.

P.S. Is it just me or is The Student Room really slow today? :confused:

Reply 11

Anonymous #1

If you have the money there is a brace - come ovre from america - which fits over your teeth and is completely invisible!! You wear it for 20 hours a day and only really take out for when you are eating. I'm not joking it is invisible as my sister has one and you cant tell at all!!

Reply 12

hantsbay

Well you can't see mine either (clear plastic, small) and I'm on the NHS. I think it also depends on where you live in because Portsmouth has traditionally always had really good and modern Orthodontic treatment (my mum had a fixed brace/retainer on the NHS in the 1960's!) whereas my Dad, from the Midlands, had never even heard of orthodontic treatment until he was living here in his mid thirties.

...Mind you, that's pretty much the only decent thing Portsmouth seems to have these days :wink:

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