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 live in another EU country and fixed metal retainers are the norm here - all our DC have them top and bottom. I will have them too, when I have finished my course of Invisalign.

We have both fixed retainers and moulded night retainers. You can floss with teepees.

MollyHuaCha thank you. Why do you have both? What would moulded night retainers add if you have fixed retainers? Thanks.

We were told it was essential to wear plastic/metal retainers overnight to keep shape of teeth. A discreet fixed retainer was put in place as well to support the work of the nighttime retainer.

Dentist said that if nighttime retainers were lost or broken, the fixed one would help keep the teeth in correct alignment until a new nighttime retainer could be made which can take a few weeks - if this happened we would need to make appointment, then wait for new night retainer to be made, then return to orthodontist for it to be fitted - I could imagine the whole process taking up to a month.

We were also told that at the beginning (age 14), night time retainers must be worn every night. But over the years this old gradually be relaxed until at age 25 plus just twice a week would suffice.

My major fear with these is them being left behind in a hotel and thrown away by a cleaner because my lazy teen doesn't put them in a case.

Thanks for this. That is really interesting. I thought the point of the fixed retainer was that you then did not need the removeable retainer but I have obviously misunderstood.

I don’t/didn’t have braces, but wear a night guard every night because of clenching, and have done for a long time. It is absolutely second nature to wear it, and during a period where I had to switch to another type and was told not to wear my previous one because it was a bit out of shape, I couldn’t sleep without it. If staying in a hotel I keep it with my toothbrush. The downside is that it is really not sexy, and (I know this probably won’t currently be an issue for your DS) it has meant that spontaneous night-time sex has kind of dropped off our radar since I started wearing it. I also sleep with earplugs because my DP snores - a total delight, he is a lucky man!

I'm in the UK and had the '6 month smile' procedure which resulted in me receiving both fixed and removable retainers at the end.

I lost the removable retainers in a house move but with the fixed ones my teeth have never moved. I have had to have them replaced 2 times at £50 a time but that was because I bit down too hard on something and the end just became unstuck.

Before my '6 month smile' procedure I had normal braces as a teen and only received the removable retainers.... I didn't wear them hence having to fork out a few years later!!!