Still wear your retainer?

[TimePhantom]

I was just wondering who here still wears their retainers? And how long have you been wearing them for? I've had mine for about 5 years and still wear them every night. I was just thinking if I'm really planning on wearing them for the rest of my life though. But I do notice my teeth move if I don't wear them for one night.

Updates

+1 y

I only have to wear mine at night, so it's not that big of a deal. Still its weird to think I'll have to do it the rest of my life if I want my teeth to stay straight.

[missxbrightside]

i got mine off 5 years ago, still wear it every night. and I know that I'll continue to wear them, so a couple years ago I forgot them on a trip for a week, and had to put the retainer back in. my teeth moved so much that it hurt like a motherf***er to stick the retainer ON my teeth, not even for them to shift back into position hahaha. it also feels weird to me if I don't wear my retainer. like its harder for me to fall asleep because I don't feel the smoothness of the plastic and instead feel my actual teeth haha... it's kind of weird... but whatever

[TimePhantom]

It totally feels weird, I even get a different taste in my mouth in the morning when I don't have my retainers in

[sweetone]

I haven't had my retainer long... only about a year but my ortho said I'd need it nightly forever.. and when I don't wear them I also feel my teeth shift. Its scary being that I went through all that time money and energy.

Next time you think about leaving the retainer in the case at night rather than your mouth just remember all those pesky dentist visits and the extra cleaning procedures you had to take to clean your damn teeth... that's enough for me to wear my retainer... not the mention the 6 grand I sh*t out for a perfect smile.

[TimePhantom]

I definitely do wear them every night. It's very rare that I don't. When my teeth move I get a gap between my front teeth, so it's totally worth it for me.

[Anonymous]

I had permanent retainers put behind my upper and lower teeth, and wore a regular retainer for a year or two after getting them off. This thread is making me freak out a bit, am I supposed to still be wearing the regular retainers?

[Moloch]

I wear mine every other day, and yes, I notice the difference when I haven't worn them in a while.

[bsebllgrl]

I noticed my teeth moving if I didn't wear them, too. I had Invisalign and had to wear the bottom one all the time. Until the dog got them off my night stand one day and chewed them to the point you couldn't tell what they were. Ortho wouldn't make replacement ones, so I've been without them for 10 years. They haven't moved much, but they had to take 7 teeth before my braces, so I think my mouth is small enough to hold them where they should be. Even with my wisdom teeth coming in, they haven't moved much (knock on wood).

[verokiss09]

Ive been wearing mine for 3 years, because I've seen that people that didn't wear them had their teeth shif. Basically I couldn't tell they wore braces, so why spend so much money if you're not going to keep the results. Its like having a tummy tuck and go back to your old eating habits.

[LJHam]

You're right, you do need to wear them habitually because your teeth will move throughout your life. I wish I had continued to wear mine when I was young. I wore braces for over 2 years and now I don't have perfectly straight teeth to show for it. Kinda frustrating.

[hockeyrulesforever]

I've been wearing mine for a little over 8 years. For the past few years though I try not to wear them every night. I usually wear them 5 nights a week and even though I feel like my teeth move a bit it's not that significant for my retainers to stop fitting.

[Anonymous]

I had retainers for my top and bottom rows of teeth but I lost them literally a week after I got them. -_- And I haven't bought new ones since. My teeth have still stayed relatively straight thank God. I only had braces for about a year though so my teeth were never really that bad to begin with.

[Anonymous]

I got my braces off a half year ago, and I'm supposed to wear mine 24/7. I don't, and I just wear it at night. Works for me. But if I go somewhere for a couple of days, and then come back and put it in, my teeth hurt like hell. I think after another year I might just ask my ortho to implant a retainer behind my top teeth like he did my bottom, then I don't have to worry about it.

[MILWJ]

I still wear mine every night and I have a hard time falling asleep without it. My teeth are still perfectly straight and it's not really a hassle to put them in, so I don't mind having to wear them for the rest of my life :).

[ZenQueen]

nope, my teeth don't moved though(knock on wood) I have a plactic retainer and I don't even think it works... my teeth are stronger than plastic.. plus I just hate wearing them and them seem unhygenic

[OlympianChick]

I used to wear mine a lot, but I lost it so obviously I don't wear it anymore.

Yes, I am getting another but my teeth haven't moved.

[rachel05]

i wear them almost every night.. it's rare when I don't wear them to bed.. got my braces off 2 yrs, from this July, ago.

[stillagoodgirl]

Wow you actually have to wear them I thought after braces you're done

[TimePhantom]

Of course not. The braces just move your teeth, but your teeth don't naturally sit that way so they do move back eventually. Your retainer holds them in place.

[sweet_18]

I wear mine every night. It's been 8 years. I'm not about to take a chance. I also grind my teeth at night so my retainer acts as somewhat of barrier

[johari]

i think I would try to wear it everyday but then id probably get lazy and forget

[Anonymous]

On occasion I wear mine if my teeth are not aligned well.

[Anonymous]

no but I should have. my teeth moved a lot. :/

[asianfreak]

still wearing one, but in the nighttime hours only

[Anonymous]

Every other day..I want my gap to come back