Retainers (ortho)

[nicolewi]

DD1 FINALLY gets her braces off next week. She can't wait. Ortho said they do removable retainers on both top and bottom. I STILL at almost 50 have a bar bonded in back of my lower teeth and had assumed she would have a similar permanent retainer. I think it's been really important in keeping my teeth straight over time, as I stopped wearing my top retainer long ago as I think most people do and have definitely noticed my upper teeth shifting.

What did your kids get? Any sense of the current recommendations??

I'm not super confident in her ortho as we've had like 3 different orthodontists over her 2.5 years of treatment and I don't think it's like she's getting amazingly thoughtful personal care.

I'm wondering if I should push harder and ask if they WILL do a bar if I want, or just have DD wear the retainers and decide later about bonding in a bar or not. 

[InBetweenDays]

DS got his braces off last summer. He had a retainer (clear one - looked like Invisalign) he was supposed to wear full time for 3 months, and now only needs to wear them at night. No permanent retainer.

[orval]

My ds' retainers are like Invisalign trays - the clear plastic. There was no mention of any other options. This is what they use now at our ortho.

[noodleoo]

My H and I both had the bar retainers before, but I don't think they recommend those anymore. Mine came off and it was replaced with a removable retainer. H got his replaced once I think, but recently it is coming loose again and he can't find a dentist or orthodontist who will replace it. I think they said rebonding it multiple times damages the teeth.

[beerlover]

I feel like they are moving away from those permanent retainers. I had one on the bottom for like 20 years and my teeth around it still moved.

I did braces again (Invisalign) in 2020 and just have the plastic retainers that were made in house.

ETA- the permanent ones also make it very difficult to floss those teeth (lets be honest I wasn't going to use those floss threaders on a regular basis), so from a dental hygiene standpoint the removable ones are better. My hygienist always complained about that when I used to get cleanings and I still had the permanent one (nicely!)

[nicolewi]

Nov 19, 2024 13:18:47 GMT -5 beerlover said:

I feel like they are moving away from those permanent retainers. I had one on the bottom for like 20 years and my teeth around it still moved.

I did braces again (Invisalign) in 2020 and just have the plastic retainers that were made in house.

ETA- the permanent ones also make it very difficult to floss those teeth (lets be honest I wasn't going to use those floss threaders on a regular basis), so from a dental hygiene standpoint the removable ones are better. My hygienist always complained about that when I used to get cleanings and I still had the permanent one (nicely!)

Yes, the flossing part is true. But mine has never come loose or needed to be rebonded yet. I guess it will be nice for her not to have something bonded to her teeth! I just wonder how many people can be compliant with the trays over the long term! Overall, it sounds like this is just how they do it now at most places so we’ll just go with it.

[mccallister84]

Nov 19, 2024 13:32:11 GMT -5 nicolewi said:

Nov 19, 2024 13:18:47 GMT -5 beerlover said:

I feel like they are moving away from those permanent retainers. I had one on the bottom for like 20 years and my teeth around it still moved.

I did braces again (Invisalign) in 2020 and just have the plastic retainers that were made in house.

ETA- the permanent ones also make it very difficult to floss those teeth (lets be honest I wasn't going to use those floss threaders on a regular basis), so from a dental hygiene standpoint the removable ones are better. My hygienist always complained about that when I used to get cleanings and I still had the permanent one (nicely!)

Yes, the flossing part is true. But mine has never come loose or needed to be rebonded yet. I guess it will be nice for her not to have something bonded to her teeth! I just wonder how many people can be compliant with the trays over the long term! Overall, it sounds like this is just how they do it now at most places so we’ll just go with it.

I don’t know how common it is for it to come loose, but mine broke twice. The first time I had it replaced. The second time I was so far out of treatment that I did nothing about it. Both times just part of it snapped off, so I do still have about half of it but my teeth that aren’t attached have definitely shifted.

[186momx]

DD just got her braces off. She has the permanent retainer on the bottom and a clear Invisalign removable one to wear at night only on top. She goes back in 12 weeks to make sure everything is doing okay before graduating.

Question: how do you clean the clear Invisalign style retainers. They told DD to brush it with toothpaste and her toothbrush but she still says it is slimy and feels gross to put back on.

[abs]

Nov 19, 2024 14:27:12 GMT -5 186momx said:

DD just got her braces off. She has the permanent retainer on the bottom and a clear Invisalign removable one to wear at night only on top. She goes back in 12 weeks to make sure everything is doing okay before graduating.

Question: how do you clean the clear Invisalign style retainers. They told DD to brush it with toothpaste and her toothbrush but she still says it is slimy and feels gross to put back on.

DD is doing Invisalign right now and soaks her trays nightly with the cleaning crystals. There might be a cheaper option but this works super well and they are very clean and clear. I assume that will just be the routine for a long time with the retainer, too.

[waverly]

I have a permanent retainer and I love it. It does create more plaque and it is harder if not impossible for flossing.

My upper teeth have never moved. My lower teeth still move, and I still need to wear the other retainer in addition to the permanent because my teeth are stupid.  Mine has never broken. 

[dutchgirl678]

I did Invisalign last year and have clear plastic retainers I wear at night. 186momx, I soak mine regularly in water with a dissolving tablet of Breelex retainer cleaner.

[CrazyLucky]

Nov 19, 2024 14:27:12 GMT -5 186momx said:

DD just got her braces off. She has the permanent retainer on the bottom and a clear Invisalign removable one to wear at night only on top. She goes back in 12 weeks to make sure everything is doing okay before graduating.

Question: how do you clean the clear Invisalign style retainers. They told DD to brush it with toothpaste and her toothbrush but she still says it is slimy and feels gross to put back on.

I got my braces off three years ago and asked for the permanent retainers but I also use the Invisalign type at night.  When I got them I was told to brush them every day when I take them out WITHOUT toothpaste.  Like, to use a separate brush and everything.  I think that may be because when I first got them, I had to wear them all the time except when eating and the toothpaste makes them get tiny scratches that makes them more noticeable.  I also soak them in denture cleaner once a week.  I'm on my second set, but they look brand new.

[awkwardpenguin]

I use pul daily aligned cleaner on my Invisalign and it works great. $16 for a three month supply.

My orthodontist is very up on the research and doesn’t do permanent retention anymore. She didn’t explain why, just told me it’s no longer recommended.

[osulori]

My son (11) has removable retainers on the top and bottom. He starts phase 2 at some point in 2025 so maybe once that's done the permanent retainers would be an option? Honestly I haven't asked so I have no clue.

[expectantsteelerfan]

Nov 19, 2024 14:27:12 GMT -5 186momx said:

DD just got her braces off. She has the permanent retainer on the bottom and a clear Invisalign removable one to wear at night only on top. She goes back in 12 weeks to make sure everything is doing okay before graduating.

Question: how do you clean the clear Invisalign style retainers. They told DD to brush it with toothpaste and her toothbrush but she still says it is slimy and feels gross to put back on.

Ds just got back from his appt. to get his invisalign retainers, so this is fresh in my mind lol.  They gave us a few packets of the Invisalign brand crystals we can use, but said it's up to us if we want to order more, brush with toothpaste, brush with soap and water (and a separate toothbrush obv), or soak using denture or other brand retainer cleaner.  She basically said whatever we find that works for us and fits our budget.  

OP, ds got 2 Invisalign retainers.  They did mention he is supposed to wear them for the rest of his life, lol yeah right.  I told him he needs to wear them until he graduates high school, and then it will be up to him whether he continues to wear them and if he replaces them if he loses them.

[zarapipe]

Nov 19, 2024 14:27:12 GMT -5 186momx said:

DD just got her braces off. She has the permanent retainer on the bottom and a clear Invisalign removable one to wear at night only on top. She goes back in 12 weeks to make sure everything is doing okay before graduating.

Question: how do you clean the clear Invisalign style retainers. They told DD to brush it with toothpaste and her toothbrush but she still says it is slimy and feels gross to put back on.

I have Invisalign and use denture cleaner tablets.

Dd has a permanent retainer.

[orval]

My ds uses Efferdent Retainer Cleaner tablets like once a week. THey are only like $5-6 for a good supply.

[redpenmama]

My son has the clear plastic retainer that he only wears at night. But, he just had top braces and will likely have a second phase in middle school. It seems like that is the most common option these days.

[robot]

I had the upper and lower plastic type retainers 30 years ago. I wore them at night throughout high school, which was about four years post-braces. After that, I stopped, but my teeth really have not moved much, if at all. So, I do think this can be an effective option.

[stemmie]

Nov 19, 2024 14:27:12 GMT -5 186momx said:

DD just got her braces off. She has the permanent retainer on the bottom and a clear Invisalign removable one to wear at night only on top. She goes back in 12 weeks to make sure everything is doing okay before graduating.

Question: how do you clean the clear Invisalign style retainers. They told DD to brush it with toothpaste and her toothbrush but she still says it is slimy and feels gross to put back on.

You can buy a foaming cleanser meant for Invisalign at a drug store. I've used a foaming denture bath in a pinch. 


www.cvs.com/shop/invisalign-aligner-cleaning-foam-1-85-oz-prodid-2120017?cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww&CID=aff_100357191-15507594&cjevent=1a796003a74411ef806d6cca0a82b836

[hbomdiggity]

DS had phase 1 braces/expander removed and got plastic retainers. Printed, not molded.

I had the bar and flossing was impossible and horrible plaque issue. Prob had it 10years before it came loose and dentist popped it off. Minimal movement. (I also had braces for 5 years so there’s that too.)

[macmars45]

Nov 19, 2024 14:27:12 GMT -5 186momx said:

DD just got her braces off. She has the permanent retainer on the bottom and a clear Invisalign removable one to wear at night only on top. She goes back in 12 weeks to make sure everything is doing okay before graduating.

Question: how do you clean the clear Invisalign style retainers. They told DD to brush it with toothpaste and her toothbrush but she still says it is slimy and feels gross to put back on.

I soak my sleep apnea night guard in white vinegar and hot water 3x/week for 20-30 minutes per my dentist's instructions. I rinse with water daily in the mornings.

[186momx]

I ordered some Efferdent cleaner so hopefully that helps. She is also having a hard time remembering to put it in at night so we need to figure out a new bedtime routine that adds that in. At this point I'm thinking a phone reminder alarm.

[sent]

Most of us orthodontists hate the bars for several reasons. 1) harder to clean 2) they break 3) teeth can still shift with the bars for a whole host of reasons that are too long to go into in this post.

A lot of us (us = moms on this board) had the bars placed back in the day when we had our treatment in the 90s, including myself. If your bar was attached to just 2 teeth, these days we don't usually use that style of bars anymore. We use a different style of bar that attaches on each of the lower front teeth so 6 teeth total. There's been some changes in retainer philosophy since the 90s hence why you see less bars and more removable aligner-style retainers now.

In general we do still use the bars but it is case dependent. Some offices place a lot more bars than others, some offices refuse to place them. In my office, we get at least one adult a month who had a bar placed in the past 10+ years ago as a kid in another part of the country. Now they live near my office and there is some kind of issue with the retainer that we have to help resolve.