Re: Broken Retainer

Effie54 · ‎09-08-2010

@Icegoddess Morning, having just had braces for 4 years, I can tell you to find an orthodontist in your area, make an appointment and definitely get another retainer. The type of retainer you seem to be describing is a Hawley retainer. I have not seen one of those in many years. I have and use a Vivera retainer, made by Invisalign. It looks and feels like a clear nightguard. It holds your teeth in place nicely. I had prices when I was younger, and I did not wear my retainer. My bite relapsed and hence...another 4 years getting my bite corrected. my orthodontist stress, the fact that teeth are always moving, and it would not take long before another relapse happened in the event. I did not wear my retainers every night. My advice is to see an orthodontist and get the correct retainer he/she recommends for you. An ill-fitting, or by mail nightguard can do more harm than good.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@Effie54 , yes I have the Hawley type retainers, and I have an appointment this morning.

The only reason I might want a simple mouth guard would be for those times when I'm having dental work done and my dentist doesn't want me to wear my retainer, or if my temporary tooth pops off, which has happened to me in the past. It would protect the stub so it wouldn't be painful every time I took a drink.

There is a site that sells the Hawley type retainers, and I was just looking to see if anybody had any experience with doing it online. I don't know that they would be ill-fitting. You make impressions just like they do at the Orthodontist's office. They're still rather costly. You're basically just cutting out the cost of the Orthodontist and the practice.

Not all businesses on the internet are bad or have shotty products.

PilatesLover · ‎08-20-2014

That happened to me. Don't do what I did, and let it go. My teeth began to revert alarmlingly after ignoring it a couple years because they seemed fine, until they weren't.

My new dentist told me just go back to the orthodontic practice. The orthodontist said no problem, they can make a new one any time, and it wasn't really that costly. You can buy just a lower retainer, too.

A lot of them do it with laser technology now instead of the old tray impressions. I opted to do 10 weeks of Spark Aligners to get back the perfect alignment, and I'm getting my new night retainer next week.

It was quite a moment when that broken wire came flying out while flossing! I still don't know where it got flung to.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@PilatesLover the retainer broke last week. It's going to cost me $300 for just the lower one. I was just looking at options. I have an appt. today.

Effie54 · ‎09-08-2010

@Icegoddess wrote:
@Effie54 , yes I have the Hawley type retainers, and I have an appointment this morning.

The only reason I might want a simple mouth guard would be for those times when I'm having dental work done and my dentist doesn't want me to wear my retainer, or if my temporary tooth pops off, which has happened to me in the past. It would protect the stub so it wouldn't be painful every time I took a drink.

There is a site that sells the Hawley type retainers, and I was just looking to see if anybody had any experience with doing it online. I don't know that they would be ill-fitting. You make impressions just like they do at the Orthodontist's office. They're still rather costly. You're basically just cutting out the cost of the Orthodontist and the practice.

Not all businesses on the internet are bad or have shotty products.

@Icegoddess Online mouth guard or retainer services aren't the same as going to an orthodontist. My orthodontist uses a scanner for a perfect fit; as the algenite molds aren't as accurate and old school. I only know because I've been there, done that...and then ended up getting braces again.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@Effie54 wrote:
@Icegoddess wrote:
@Effie54 , yes I have the Hawley type retainers, and I have an appointment this morning.

The only reason I might want a simple mouth guard would be for those times when I'm having dental work done and my dentist doesn't want me to wear my retainer, or if my temporary tooth pops off, which has happened to me in the past. It would protect the stub so it wouldn't be painful every time I took a drink.

There is a site that sells the Hawley type retainers, and I was just looking to see if anybody had any experience with doing it online. I don't know that they would be ill-fitting. You make impressions just like they do at the Orthodontist's office. They're still rather costly. You're basically just cutting out the cost of the Orthodontist and the practice.

Not all businesses on the internet are bad or have shotty products.
@Icegoddess Online mouth guard or retainer services aren't the same as going to an orthodontist. My orthodontist uses a scanner for a perfect fit; as the algenite molds aren't as accurate and old school. I only know because I've been there, done that...and then ended up getting braces again.

@Effie54 Except that I've spent 9 years in retainers made using impressions, not a scanner. The issue is moot though. I went to the Orthodontist this morning and gave them their $300. They did use a scanner on me, but when I called them they told me if I still had my mold, which I did, and wanted the clear ones, they could just use those. I'm thinking that probably wouldn't work though since I got an implant to fill in the hole of a missing tooth after I got the braces off, so the molds would not be correct.

Pink123 · ‎07-10-2019

I had braces I think beginning when was 14 or so as I had crowded teeth so to speak and have 4 removed before the metal braces came on. They came off right before prom night so it was about 2 years. I then got my retainer. I used it for a few years and stopped entirely.

Of course I tried it on in under 2 years when I found it and it did not fit. However my teeth were not crooked only crowded. And the teeth are straight today. I'm sure they have moved.

Now my BF has very nice straight teeth but one side on top seems to dent in somewhat. Once again he got braces at 72. He did not tell me and came home with them. The clear ones. (personally I feel the metal old fashioned ones are superior when we were youngsters and yes I was called metal mouth as a teen. lol.)

Well after almost 2 years that did not work. He tried something else. Now at home and to sleep he wears a retainer and to hear him talk is too funny. The lisp is very strong indeed. His teeth are nice and don't get why he is messing around with them. Vanity I'm sure. To me, a waste of energy and money. I give up.

The cost of dentistry is astronomical today - WOW!.