Should I tell dd that not wearing retainers makes the braces pointless?

[Lucyagain]

Hi,
My dd is due to have 4 teeth extracted for braces. She's now doubting herself because of the fact that she's been told to wear retainers for life afterwards. I just wanted to ask if theres anyone here who has had teeth extracted for braces and then not worn the retainers for most of their life so far, and found that the gaps have opened up again? She understands that her teeth will shift, but is it to the point that the gaps would be visible again? Also, she was saying she'd feel more comfortable going through with it if she could wear her retainers properly for several years and then not decide to wear it anymore or once in a blue moon type of thing, without the consequence of teeth shifting drastically or gaps opening up. I really dont know what to tell her, as I dont know anyone who has had any ortho work done.

She's been wanting braces not for cosmetic reasons, but mainly because she has a bad tooth that might need taking out anyway, and to prevent bad dental hygiene problems for the future. She's thinking of not doing it, but I thought it would be better for her to do it now while she's getting it for free?But is there point if she doesnt want to wear the retai ers for life and doesnt want the fixed ones either?

I really appreciate any replies! (Ps thread was on general health, but new to mn, so dont know if it might be better here?)

[ChrisPrattsFace]

I wore my retainer for about a year afterwards and now my teeth have moved back. If I could afford it I would have braces again.

There’s always going to be movement but your retainer minimises the amount. Definitely wear it.

[ChrisPrattsFace]

As in - I only wore it for a year, and then when I stopped her moved back. (It’s been like 12 years since...)

[Winterdaysarehere]

At 17 I broke my retainer and never went back.
At 47 I had train tracks put on.
Have to wear retainers and will this time.
£1500 I could have spent elsewhere!!

[LIZS]

Ds has a wire behind his teeth as well as a removable retainer that he no longer needs to use overnight daily, but in practice usually does.

[helpmeouttahere]

I forgot to pack my retainers when going on holiday, and they moved!
Had to fork out privately to get braces again.
All that pain and sacrifice will go in vain if she doesn't keep them in ( at night at least)

[StandardLampski]

I really struggled with having both in, it made me gag. Dropped one... can't remember how long I kept the other. Yes my teeth moved where I dropped it. Just one tooth and my teeth are still much improved. I'm irritated as an adult but aware also that they are not too bad!

Does she need too and bottom retainers? With hindsight I'd suggest alternating.

[Lazypuppy]

I have a wire behind my top and bottom 4 teeth, have had for 10years. Permanent retainer keeps them straight

[ClapHandsAndSaveTheFairies]

I had teeth removed, five very painful years of various braces.

Was never given a retainer.

Teeth only shifted slightly, you wouldn't notice.

I think mine was mostly about moving my lower jaw forward

[CodenameVillanelle]

Permanent retainer. I didn't wear mine the first time and they moved SO BADLY that at age 34 I paid £2.5k to get braces again. Now have a permanent retainer (tiny wire stuck on the back of my teeth) and no movement.

[titchy]

Permanent retainer is just a wire behind the teeth cemented to the back. I think dd's cost £150 for top and bottom a few years ago. But means they won't move and it can't be seen.

[LucileDuplessis]

I had several teeth extracted followed by train track braces in my teens. I didn't wear a retainer, and my teeth have never moved back and are still nice and straight (I'm 45 now). However, I wasn't told to wear a retainer. If your DD has been told she'll need one then I guess she should listen to the orthodontist.

[Velveteenfruitbowl]

I didn’t wear retainers at all afterwards. My teeth sifted a bit (which I found nice as they look more natural). No gaps.

[Aquamarine1029]

Get her the permanent retainers. I've had them since I was 15, 47 now, and both of my kids have them. My teeth have never shifted.

[snailsnail]

I went through orthodontist treatment twice in less than 10 years!!
First time around I wasn’t given a retainer at all and my one tooth moved back (it for some reason grew so outs naturally behind my teeth).
Second time around I had a retainer after the braces were removed and a wire behind my teeth. In the 8 (or so) years it’s broke once (the force of that tooth is strong) and I had to get it fixed. But only had to wear the retainer for about 3 years, slowly going from full time to half day to evening only to night time only to not at all... BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!
Although swallowing the wire wasn’t great!

[BlueCornsihPixie]

It's completely pointless have braces if your not going to wear the retainer. Would be a waste of time and NHS money

[SpuriouserAndSpuriouser]

I had loads of orthodontic work done as a child, which was done by the time I was a teenager. I wore retainers for about a year afterwards, and then stopped, and over the course of about a decade my teeth crept back to how they were (not totally, but definitely not straight any more). I am now about to re-start orthodontic work to try and get them straight again. I have been told I will have to wear retainers long-term afterwards, but not necessarily every night. In some situations you can also have a permanent retainer put in, like a wire behind the teeth to hold them in the right place.

[Hepzibar]

Both DD and DS went through years of orthodontics and both wore braces.

DD wore retainers - perfect teeth (now 29)
DS would not wear his retainers (every excuse) teeth moved back, now crooked.

Braces are fixed but Once wearing retainers becomes optional then it is impossible to ensure they wear them at night.

Bloody kids!

[mummabubs]

I had teeth removed and then braces between age 14-16. Cost my parents £2000 privately as the NHS dentist said I'd need a head brace 😭 Private orthodontist told me to wear retainers for a year afterwards, which I did religiously, then stopped. While my teeth aren't as bad as pre braces there has definitely been a noticeable shift back in the last 15 years. I will say though that the biggest change in my teeth positioning was when I wa pregnant... No one warned me about that!!

If I had my time again I definitely would have worn retainers for longer.

[mumsiedarlingrevolta]

DD had braces and wears a retainer to sleep.

If she misses a few days she already feel them shifting.

Wear the retainer

[Trillis]

I think it varies. I remember being sat in the orthodontists waiting room when a parent came in saying her daughter had stopped wearing her retainers a year before and her teeth had moved back to where they were before she had braces. She asked if she could have braces again, but was told she'd have to pay privately. On the other hand, DS1, who I nagged and nagged to keep wearing his retainers, also stopped after about 2 years. His teeth have never moved at all since stopping wearing them.

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

Wow. My 2 sisters and I all had braces. None of us were given retainers or even had them mentioned to us.
I had removeable braces. Dsis had the full fixed braces with headgear to wear at night.

Our teeth have not moved back.

[GeePipe]

I too have a fixed retainer wire on back of my teeth and its kept my teeth in place however i have felt my teeth try and shift over the last 7 years so i know without it my teeth will have moved. I would rather wear a retainer every night than have crooked teeth again. I have 3 friends who stopped wearing retainers and their teeth are very crooked again you wouldnt tell they had ever had braces.

[foamrolling]

I never had retainers and mine never moved back. I wonder if orthodontistry (sp?!) has changed over the years though because my 15 year old has to wear one. She's wearing them all the time now and then apparently it cuts down gradually to just night time.

[Drum2018]

Both teens got their braces off a year ago they had to wear their retainer day and night for 4 months and after that only at night. Ds has a fixed retainer also behind top and bottom front teeth. Their teeth look fabulous now compared to what they were like. Both wear their retainers and I'll bloody kill them if they stop (at least while they are under my roof) .

[pallisers]

My son appears to have a theory that as long as he puts his retainer in every third night, he's fine. He is not.

I had braces back in the day without a retainer. My teeth moved and I just spent money on invislign.