NHS retainers post orthodontic treatment - seem poor are there any alternatives?

[justforthisnewname]

My daughter has broken her second NHS retainer after finishing orthodontic treatment after having them for a month (when these were replaced the orthodontist suspected that the first pair she had fitted had hairline cracks in them when she was given them). The ones she has seem very rigid with no give at all and have lasted 3 weeks before splitting at the back of each jaw . She has to wear them 24/7 for the next 12 months which means taking them in and out to eat drink, brush teeth etc and I'm just not sure they’re up to the job as she is quite a careful girl. A friend suggested that maybe she grinds her teeth at night which I don't think she does but it is possible. They cost £80 to replace which is fine but not if they are only going to last a month. Has anyone else had this problem and is it possible to buy different, stronger types of retainers maybe from an NHS or private dentist that might actually last a bit longer. Thanks.

I don't know if you can get them on the NHS, but I have seen what looks like thin wire bonded to the back of the teeth as a retainer (DD has just started with fixed braces so we are a long way off the retainer stage yet).

Are your retainers more like removable braces?

Ds had the wires and solid retainer on nhs. He now only wears the block ones at night. No breaks although he had to have a bracket of the fixed wire rebonded after a few months. Is she rough when taking it out?

I am confused. The retainers I am talking about are more like a transparent mouthguard that are removeable and are worn on both jaws. The thin wire bonded to the back of the teeth as a retainer are not available on the NHS and must be paid for privately.There are pros and cons of this type of retainer. LIZS are you sure you got these on the NHS?

Definitely , he has both . The mouthguard type and fixed wires behind. Treatment was at a nhs hospital othodontic department over past 5 years. Final appointment is coming up to discharge him.

DD has fixed wires behind her teeth as well as the mouthguard retainers, all on the NHS (like LIZS's DS, from a hospital after 5 years of treatment).

I wonder if it's the more severe cases, who get sent to an orthodontic hospital, who then need the fixed wires? Which might be why the majority of retainers (where the patient has been through a standard orthodontist) are the mouthguard type?

I know what you are talking about OP. It's the transparent retainer you have after your brace is taken off. Both my DDs have one of these.

DD1 got hers last March. The first one was too tight and it was replaced within hours. Since then she's had no problems.

DD2 got hers in October and has had no problems.

Both free on the NHS and custom-made at our dentist surgery.

I'm wondering if there is some problem with the way your DC's retainer was made????

DD had a retainer and a wee metal bit out behind her teeth, both NHS. The retainer had to be rigid, otherwise the teeth could move?

I have had the old NHS retainers which have a plastic bit on the roof of your mouth and then a wire across the teeth. These were so flimsy.
I then had the clear plastic mouth guards which I feel are quite strong and rigid. I've had these about 8 years and gone through 2 pairs.
Two years ago I had the fixed wire by a private orthodontist and I do not recommend this AT ALL. My teeth moved despite wearing the mouth guard (he said I could wear twice a week at night because the fixed work in the day).

I don't believe they are available on the NHS - maybe for severe cases? As I got more comfortable with my teeth I didn't wear my mouth guard 24/7 as advised, for example left it out between breakfast and lunch.