Orthodontics - fixed or removable retainer?

[twosoups1972]

Dd has just got her braces off and is thrilled with the results

She went back the next day to have a removable retainer fitted. She has to wear it every night and it has to be in for 12 hours. I'm very worried about the teeth moving back, they said that even after the braces come off, the teeth already start to move a tiny bit and it's really important to wear the retainer every day.

They've said she can switch to a permanent bar if this one doesn't suit her.

What's best or is it down to the individual? How important is the 12 hour period? It's a bit tricky with mealtimes etc. We eat around 6.30/7pm so she could put it in after that but will then need to take it out to clean her teeth at bedtime!

Any tips please?

If she cleans her teeth after tea if think it would be fine to put retainer on after that? My dentist never said 12 hours, so I wouldn't panic about the exact timing as long as she's wearing it every single night.

The advantage of the permanent one is obviously she doesn't have to think about it, and unless it comes lose it's always working. It does make flossing harder, and still have to be a bit careful about eating certain things (I'm not meant to bite into apples etc, though realistically never had problems)

My dentist recommended both for me, and after paying £££ to straighten them I was happy to do everything I needed to retain! I tend to wear my removable one every few nights, (did wear it every night for the first few months then tapered) sometimes gone much longer. I like that the permanent doesn't need thinking about, but the removable one is a bit extra support, and figure if my teeth ever do start moving again, I'll know about it ASAP because that one won't fit properly

I wish we had been offered a fixed retainer with DD1.
She finished with braces in y10.
Then in y12 she decided she was too grown up to do anything sensible and stopped wearing her retainer and now her teeth are wonky again.

(I don't think 12 or 10 hours is that important though.)

I had permanent retainers put in over 30 years ago and still have them. When my children had braces I got them permanent retainers as well. It's the only way to go as far as I'm concerned. You never have a retainer to think about or lose, and your teeth stay perfectly in place.

Also, after making such a huge investment in her teeth, don't you want to make sure they stay as lovely as they are today?

My dd has both a permanent and removable retainer, we went private for her treatment and she was told that they would fix a permanent retainer top and bottom behind the front big teeth and also a removable retainer for the night, though now she doesn’t really need to wear the removable one every night.

I remember the orthodontist saying at the time that the permanent retainer was good as should she forget to put the removable one in her teeth won’t move too much, so definitely go for a permanent retainer.

I have a fixed retainer AND I wear plastic shield type ones 2-3 times a week and will forever more.

I paid to have mine done privately when I was 19. Even my NHS dentist now says I must still wear the retainer to stop movement, permanent little bar won't be enough to stop it. I'm nearly 27 and wore retainers every night until a couple of months ago. Everything is still perfectly in place. I think paying privately made me adhere to the rules well

Interesting, thank you. Dd is very on top of things and would remember to wear her retainer every night. But she can get a permanent retainer if she prefers that. Does the permanent one make the teeth difficult to clean?

I had braces as an adult and wear a removable retainer... it's a bit of a pain to remember to pack it for every overnight trip and I have occasionally forgotten... feels a bit tighter the next night so obviously teeth do move quite fast, but it's not life or death. I didn't want anything fixed in my mouth because I hated the feeling

I have had braces twice - the first time as a teenager, and I wore my retainers religiously from 15-19. At 19 I went travelling and didn't wear them for 2 weeks.... my teeth moved and I couldn't get my retainers back in!

So I got braces again at 20, and paid privately. This time I was offered a permanent retainer. I only have 1 on the bottom as the orthodontist said the top ones usually fall off due to bottom teeth rubbing against it.

Years on I still wear my plastic retainers 5-6 nights a week. They can feel tight if i havent worn them in a couple of nights.

If she does get a permanent wire, she will still need to wear plastic retainers! It really is important as it's very frustrating after all the pain for your teeth to go back to square one!

So I would recommend getting both.

Permanent one does male teeth slightly harder to clean but I just go to the hygienist a bit more often