Dentists or other experts - Braces off - shall we get fixed metal retainers?

[worriedandsad]

My son is due to have his braces removed this week. On the NHS they give only plastic retainers (like mouthguards) that should be worn every night (forever I am led to believe). I am not sure how practical that is for someone for the rest their life. I’ve been told by several people that really the only way to go is to have fixed metal retainers put on the inside of both the top and bottom teeth. Are there are there any dentists on here or other knowledgeable people that could give me some advice on this? Is this highly recommended? Are there are downsides to this? Please could you also confirm if there are different types of fixed retainers which might assist with good dental hygiene, for example, the ability to floss between teeth? Thanks very much.

I'll be interested in the answers you get. After 8 years of train tracks I turned down the fixed wire behind my teeth and opted for a night retainer. I was craving flossing my teeth and couldn't imagine never doing it again

I have a fixed wire retainer - only on the front 6 teeth (top and bottom)

You can't floss properly but you can use an interdental brush (like tepe)

Teeth do continue to move so a fixed retainer is a good plan if you don't want to pay for braces again

I also have a plastic retainer that I am supposed to wear one night a week - do I wear it? No!

I had a brace about 15 years ago and opted for fixed retainer - it is still on,although it doesn’t need to be.
When DS had his I insisted he had a fixed retainer as his then girlfriend has had a night retainer and teeth had returned pretty much to before the brace within a year as she didn’t wear it. I think dentists don’t recommend as they worry about cleaning teeth but as long as dental hygiene is good I’d highly recommend fixed.

Nithead I believe that sometimes the retainers are only across 4 or 6 of the central teeth so you can still floss the rest.

I have a fixed retainer across 6, top and bottom - it’s brilliant.
There is special floss you can use to floss under it (with a stick on the end to poke through under the wire) but I’m happy with tepe brushes.
It helps me as I’m lazy and don’t wear the plastic retainer much - know so many people whose teeth have started to move again because they don’t wear it either.
I’d really recommend it. I don’t feel it either.