Day 4 In Retainerville!
And you thought it was all over! LOL... Figured that since I have now entered a new phase of my oral drama that I should keep all you soon to be debraced people informed.
So here it goes....I have decided that retainers are a love hate relationship. On the one hand, you love them because they are keeping your teeth in their post braces, perfect position, or moving them back to that spot should they drift, however the actual wearing of them is not really pleasant, and rather annoying.
My teeth were super sore, and have been until today. For some reason my lower incisors were screaming, and I couldn't even touch them with the toothbrush! Getting Essix retainers off is no small feat the first few days. They are tight, and require rather strong fingernails to break the suction and get them to release. Putting them on is easier, albeit rather painful the first couple of days as, like with an adjustment your teeth aren't used to being in those exact spots so they are tender and sore from movement.
Overall things are going well though, the retainers have begun to loosen up. I took them off and put them on 3 times today to eat, and didn't have any issues. It is annoying to have to think about eating everytime though and to be sure and take them off first. It's a good diet plan though, really cuts down on snacking I tell you! Other then this there is not much else to report today. I will let you know how things are going as we get closer to the end of the week.
posted by Brandyleigh35 @ 4:52 PM
6 Comments:
At 6:15 PM,
Erin said…
You look great!!!!!!!! I think I'll have a love/hate feeling about my retainer(s). It's kinda cruel to go through all the orthodontics and then get them off...only to have to wear a retainer. :p But, the small price we pay for our pretty teeth. :)
At 6:28 PM,
Erin said…
Do you think this kind of retainer is better than the standard Hawley? Did you get to pick?
At 6:59 PM,
Anne said…
Brandy,
I wonder what the difference is between this style of retainer and Invisilign braces. They look very similar to me.
Were these an option for you (as opposed to the standard plastic hard-palate, wired retainer)? Did your orthodontist recommend them? I am learning about such things as I live through them. You are giving me a little head's up.
I think I would have a hard time with these if you can't drink anything but water while wearing them. I drink iced tea or hot tea all day long. I don't have many vices but this is a big one.
Peace,
Anne
At 7:27 PM,
Brandyleigh35 said…
Thanks Erin,
No I didn't get to pick, or should I say he didn't ask me. I think he doesn't offer Hawley's because he makes the Essix retainers in his office lab while you wait. Traditionally he does Essix on top, and bonded retainers on the bottom. I'm not sure if it will be the same for me, but he had my son wear them for 1 month 24/7 then he got to go to nights only. If that is my sentence then I can definetly live with it.
They are pretty comfortable and I actually prefer this type to the Hawley as I don't want to have to wear a big wire in front of my teeth after getting my braces off. These retainers are pretty much invisible unless someone knows you are wearing them.
Anne, You can drink stuff with them on. I think stuff like coffee or soda might be a problem, I was told that dark drinks could discolor the tray and then it wouldn't be so white. I drink with mine all the time though. I drink chai tea every morning, and sometimes milkshakes, or smoothies, green tea etc. As for the difference between the essix and invisalign I think they are the same. I had to use one of these before when I had my OASYS appliance for my sleep apnea. It was great for keeping my teeth where they belong, so that the appliance didn't move them. I would say just don't drink anything that is super dark, and take them out when you are eating. They are quite durable too.
If I had a choice I would choose this retainer. Since I will eventually get to go to wearing it nights only who is going to be seeing it anyway?
At 8:40 AM,
Bill said…
Brandy,
Thanks for the update. My de-bracing appointment is at 8:30 am this Friday so I'm very interested in your experiences.
Any thoughts on what I should have for my first de-braced meal?!?
:)
-Bill
At 10:00 AM,
Brandyleigh35 said…
Hey Bill,
Afraid I can't offer much in that department, I still haven't had a really great meal yet. My teeth were pretty sore that first night, and at 1 week post braces removal they are just starting to feel back to normal. Chewing hard stuff is still difficult for me, but perhaps it won't be for you!
Maybe Mexican? Chips/Salsa and a big, giant, fully loaded, burrito?
That is what I ate for my last supper before surgery!
It is super nice though not having to spend an hour getting food out of your teeth, AND flossing is like so fast! It's the simple things my friend! Trust me, you are totally going to love having your teeth free again!
Brandy
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