Retainers??? I got my retainers after getting the braces on back in 1993. When I got the retainers, I never asked the doc how long I was supposed to wear these things. Here is it 2001…I still wear them about twice a week when I sleep. I don’t think my teeth are going to move now…sheesh. Anybody know how long you’re actually supposed to wear retainers?
6 or 8 months, IIRC.
I got my braces off about the same time you did and I still wear my retainers. My orthodontist told me that I didn’t have to anymore, but I grind my teeth at night so I wear them anyway. (they are the little plastic kind that you wear over your teeth)
I don’t know. But I also got my braces off in 1993 and I still sleep with my retainer on every night. I’m just too lazy to find a new orthodontist to tell me if I need to wear it or not.
I just got my braces on, and asked about retainers. My orthodontist said for thr rest of your life. But, then he said that about 6 months in when most people quit and that is ok.
I feel your pain. I got mine put on on friday 
I know what you mean. Mine were put on back in August, and I am getting them adjusted tomorrow.
I feel your pain as well…actually, it’s far worse than that. I got my braces off in 93, and never touched my retainers. They were just too uncomfortable. My teeth didn’t move a bit, they remained perfectly straight. Of course, nature played one of her horrible little tricks on me, and all of the enamel fell off of my teeth. I now have 24 crowns (I got the four rear molars removed to save money) and it is the most painful thing I have ever had to endure. Trust me, braces are EASY to deal with. Just make sure you brush GOOD, and floss like you’ve never flossed before. If anyone wants the terribly painful details of 24 crowns and 6 root canals, feel free to ask…
-TheOtherOne, who is going to take some advil and go to sleep, hoping he doesn’t grind his teeth again tonight.
Um, were you just over at my house tonight? You sound suspiciously like a friend of mine.
I got mine off a few months ago, I only wear my retainer at night(they said to wear it full time, but it doesn’t make a difference, near as I can tell). What bothers me is this: they bonded a wire to the back of my bottom set of teeth. A permanent retainer, to keep my bottom teeth from getting messed up again. It’s small and doesn’t bother me much, but when I asked how long I had to keep it on, they said “for the rest of your life”. This, for some reason, scares me. I don’t like the idea of dying with a piece of wire intended for a pubescent teen in my mouth. I’m thinking of demanding that they take it off once I get a bit older. I will not wear this shit for my entire life.
I had braces at 11 and wore them for 2.5 years. Right after I got the braces off and got retainers, my mom left my dad and moved us far away from my orthodontist. I wore the retainers faithfully every night until right before college when I quit.
Flash foward. At 27 years old, my teeth had shifted back to their original position and I had braces AGAIN. Once 3 years and some painful and extensive jaw surgery, the braces are off and I will wear my retainers every night and have them checked once a year, forever. Retainers at night seem a small price to pay for nice teeth.
I think you can probably stop wearing them.
I wore my retainer for about 6 months, when my orthodontist told me I didn’t have to anymore. I put it in about a month later, and my teeth had shifted, so it didn’t fit properly. I could still put it over my teeth, but it felt tight and uncomfotable.
If I were you, I’d try not wearing it for a while, and see if your teeth move. If they do, keep wearing it. The only reason my teeth shifted after that long was because my reatiner was keeping my 12 year old molars half submerged in my gum, and they didn’t like it there.
I had the wire on my bottom teeth; I think I had it removed about three years on. I quit wearing the top one after about a year. My teeth have shifted a bit but not enough to be anything like a problem.
That’s bullshit. I had the same “retainer” installed after my second round of braces. (I didn’t wear my retainer the first time around, which necessitated the second braces on my top teeth only. Take a lesson, kids.) When I got a new dentist around age 23, he said I could get it taken off. So I went back to the original orthodontist and had him take it off. He was a real perfectionist – while he was doing it, he said, “Hmmm, I see you still have a crossbite on this pair of teeth – maybe we should fix that.” THREE rounds of braces? I told him hell no. You should have seen my teeth before braces. I had to have 8 PERMANENT teeth removed just to make room. One little crossbite was not a big deal. When I told my dentist what the ortho said, he agreed with me and said I had “pretty teeth”! So there, Dr. Schmidtke. 
Oh, if only I had listened to my orthodontist. I need braces again because I did not wear my retainers like I should have.
Wear the retainer. Wear it forever. Have perfect teeth.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I figured I’d wear my retainers once a week for a while and maybe eventually stop wearing them all together. Anymoo, good luck and hang in there all you people with braces, retainers, and such.
Why did the enamel fall off your teeth? Was it as a result of the grinding?
I wore my retainer about two or three months and I was fine. I think the theory is that the stress of taking the braces off can loosen your teeth to a point where they can start shifting back - so you wear the retainer until they “set.” That’s my understanding, anyway. I’m curious as to why, from what I’ve read here, some people’s teeth never move and some do.
I was wondering the same thing. 