Living with Braces and Retainers (Wire/Hawley vs Clear/Essix)

How much of you has gotten braces and retainers? Yep some of us have been through it all. May it be for health reasons or for the sake to get that perfect smile. Whether you're still wearing it, going through the retainer phase, let's agree that those years are just about discipline! The discipline of actually cleaning your teeth in a way you kind of never did before (not saying that you never clean your teeth before, omg that would just sound bad, why am I even writing this? lol never mind, ignore the voice in my head babbling. So, I meant cleaning in a good way, seriously!), you get used of more that just one tool to clean your teeth, that mental preparation of facing the facts that some of your teeth must be taken out, monthly visits to the dentist (my dentist is a living witness of me growing up), wearing retainers everyday, cleaning them, put it in the case and try not to lose it honestly.

So well, I am going to share you bits of my story. I had had braces for 6 years, I know that's a very long time. Honestly I loved it until I just got bored of it and my dentist finally told me that I (oh well, my teeth in this respect) was ready to live a free, liberated, brace-less life. So things to expect! Note in mind that I had had braces for 6 years people! The first time the braces were taken out, it felt so weird, I felt toothless honestly, I was used to having this pressure on my teeth and it's suddenly gone, it was just sensational and odd at the same time. And oh no kids, if you think your dentist visit stops there, you are getting into a new kind of adventure! Next the dentist would make a mold of my teeth to make the retainer.

Here's the thing. You HAVE to and MUST go through the retainer phase, this I say is one of the most important step in orthodontics procedure. Am I using the right words for it? Are there any dentist here? Correct me if I'm wrong. Why? this 'thing' is what will keep you have that straight smile, through out your life possibly if you are willing to dedicate yourself to it. So the first one I got (cough!) was the clear/essix one, which I think is made from acrylic and it comes in the shape of your teeth. Here comes my review. It keeps the teeth perfectly in place just as you just got off those braces. The first week for me, was very painful. I had it on 24 hours except when I eat and brush my teeth. The painful part was not actually wearing them, but putting them in and taking them off. But after a week it feels normal, it is less painful. I recommend you to just stick in your mouth really. There were a few lazy days in which I didn't wear them, and after I wear them again, it would just hurt. You know why? Because little did you know your teeth have already shifted and your magic retainer need shift those teeth back to its place. Well you know, biology, we grow, we're humans. But after it won't hurt as much again. The advantages of this clear retainer it that it's invisible. Some people don't really like having that wire across their teeth. It keeps your teeth just perfectly in place. Now the downsides. It covers your teeth so after a while in my experience, just even from speaking etc, the material will wear off especially the part where your upper and lower teeth meet. It's not a big problem however it keeps your teeth in place. The second is that I feel that you don't get a natural bite because there is always this layer in between. The third is, that it's invisible. Now this takes me to another story. Kids! please please have a container for your retainer! And that bit just rhymed. Don't, don't put it in a tissue as you're eating in the cafeteria and put it on the table and then leave it, for you thought that that tissue was just rubbish and go away, and as you went, you realized that you left your retainer in a tissue on the cafeteria table which when you come back, was already cleaned by the cafeteria lady and where does all the rubbish go? There you go. Just don't. And that kids, was the story of my life.

So I have let my teeth retainer-less for months I don't remember how many. But I came back to my dentist, and confessed my 'sin' and well, I needed to do another mold for the new retainer. I won't say molds are nice nor pleasant, I just gotta be honest with you. But oh, beauty is pain, no pain no gain. So I ordered the wire/hawley one this time. When it was finished I tried it on. It was more adjustable I'd say, the dentist can tweak it in case it's not providing right amount the strength. This one has a wire across your teeth, I wasn't bothered about it since I had braces for 6 years anyway. So this one is also painful within the first week. It might feel nauseating at first because it covers your palate a little, but it that feeling goes away overtime. My dentist tips would be to eat a candy with it. You can also have a natural bite. It's durable it can last you years. You kind of can eat with it. The downside is that it gives you a lisp, so you may talk in a quite a funny way and I, in my own perspective am not very sure how much it keeps the teeth in place. I just feel that the wire is tweak-able that there is still that possibility of your is teeth of moving.

Long story short, I did not learn my lesson. Bad example kids! I did not get myself a retainer container, by which I have lost my retainer, again. Learn from me kids! If the retainer is not it your mouth, it's in the container! So months after, I got another retainer (and container!), a clear one which I find a little surprising, since I thought I would be getting the hawley again because my teeth have moved too much from its ideal state. And the hawley can be tweaked whereas clear ones cannot. And after wearing the retainer for a few months I was just not satisfied by it, by which, then, I got myself back into wearing my long lost friend, braces. Ta-Da! So that's for not wearing my retainers consistently and losing them consistently. Oh, and I also went to the same doctor. Consistency!

How long should I wear the retainer for? Through some research I've come across a lot of suggestions. My dentist would suggest me to wear it just at night for 3-6 months. I have read elsewhere that wearing them 24 hours for 6 months, then decrease its use to 3-5 times a week at night only. And once a week at night after, for the rest of your life. There are researches and journals available on this too. Thank you internet.

Which retainer should I get? Which is a better retainer? Wire or Clear? Hawley or Essix? I must have typed this on to Google a gazillion times. Browsed through endless forums, yahoo answers, reddit, quora etc. Well honestly it comes down to what you need. If you don't like to have a wire across your teeth then I'd suggest you to take the essix. Note in mind the essix is not 100% invisible though, people might still see that you're wearing retainers if they really do pay attention to your teeth (which is kind of creepy now that I think of it). If you go for the essix though, I suggest you to have more than one. Because in my opinion the essix is really not that durable. In my opinion (again) 1-2 years max. Because probably after 2 years it's kind of disgusting I believe. I had mine for a few months and it already got holes in it from biting and speaking etc. Another issue is that I feel that you don't want to be retainerless for too long, since it will give your teeth time to move from its position, and that, we don't want. My point is, if you're getting an essix, have backups for... idk how many years you want to keep wearing retainers. For you still want to rely your first mold. The perfect darling first mold. This is another case if it is possible for you to remake retainer from your first mold, in this case your dentist doesn't throw away your mold after he's done creating the retainer. Now, the wire/hawley. I believe you only need one of this, because it's durable. But I suggest you to go and check the retainer and teeth to your dentist regularly to check whether the retainer is putting enough pressure on your teeth and whether it needs some tweaks.

So in conclusion, for myself at least, if I were to choose between the two I will choose both. Because I like how the essix keeps the teeth in place, and I feel as that part is stable enough, I would continue with the hawley for a lifetime (well probably at night only) and visit the dentist.

So tips from me about orthodontics:

-Brush your teeth, even with those tiny brush!

-Wear your retainer

-Get a retainer container

-Don't lose your retainer

-Have your teeth checked regularly

-Be consistent

So well yeah, I hope this helps you to figure things out.

Yasmin