Retainers

[_sophie_]

I just got my braces off today after a year and a half - horray! But now i have these retainers that are the removable ones that are like a metal bar across your teeth, i have one for upper and lower, someone PLEASE tell me it gets easier to speak in these! It's so embarrassing i keep lisping, yet when i have my fixed brace i was fine :( ! Anyway, my othordontist said i should probably keep mine on for 6 months, except from when eating etc.. i have a few questions :
is it ok to keep them off when going out (like with friends etc)?
do you think i could wear them only for a couple of days a week at school and then all the time at the weekend and when i come home from school?
can i drink with them still in or do i have to take them out to drink?
WILL I BE ABLE TO SPEAK BETTER SOONER?!
hahahah, thanks!

[Davethedog]

Hi Sophie.

I would ask you dentist, wouldn't it be a shame if you undid a year and a half's trouble
for a bit of a problem like this.

Think of how beautiful your smile will be at Christmas and all the hearts you'll break.

[sara3]

hi Sophie and well done! my daughter has a moulded clear plastic retainer, which you can't even see and it doesn't affect her speech. were there any alternatives?

if not, I'm sure you'll get used to it :o)

[Prudie]

Sophie I know times have moved on but I remember when I first had my braces I could only speak with a lisp and eating and drinking were hard and i didn't want to go to school as i was so self-conscious about the way I sounded but i think it only took a week or so for that to go away, your mouth should adapt quite quickly.
If it's hurting more than the normal pressure though I would go back to your orthodontist. Try to stick with it as the teeth can move back sneakily if you don't retain them in their new position for long enough.

[ann_h]

I had to wear these top and bottom for 18 months. You will adjust speechwise in a couple of weeks, don't worry! (and the spitting/dribbling lol)
You should keep them in as much as possible to keep your teeth in place while the bone re-hardens around the root. Otherwise they may start to move back again.
I only took mine out to eat and to clean them, but wore them 24/7 otherwise.

[tamborine]

and I thought you're pants would fall down :(

[_sophie_]

sorry, tamborine, i dont get it?

thanks anyway! yeah my sister had a clear retainer which i would much have preferred but my othordontist just gave me this one - i will ask him about a clear one next time i go though. and thank god my speech will be better haha. ok, i think i will just keep them in to drink as it's so annoying taking them in and out all the time! thanks :)

[Prudie]

Just got it Tambo, tee-hee

[tamborine]

sweet.....youth today :)

[bushbaby_de]

Hi Sophie, I'm 28 and have one of these on at the minute. I've had it since January and have it for another 4 months.

For the first three or four days I really couldn't talk properly. I felt like I sounded like a deaf person trying to speak. However everyone else assures me they could understand me just fine! After a week I felt less self conscious and after 2 weeks I didn't notice them anymore.

Its the same for eating and drinking too. For the first week I felt like everything I put in my mouth went straight into my retainer and I was spitting and drooling. Now I can eat and drink just fine, and just take it out after to rinse it. The more you practise the better you will get. I ate on my own to start with in case anything happened but that feeling soon passed.

For speaking, the best advice I can give you is to buy a magazine and read it to yourself out loud. Your mouth and tongue will soon figure out how to rearrange themselves around the new hardwear in your mouth!

Lastly please wear it exactly as much as your orthodontist tells you too. Depending on the problems you had fixed, it might be necessary to keep it on all the time, even if some people only have to wear theirs at night. Just remember how quickly your teeth moved every time you had your brace adjusted - they started hurting pretty quickly didn't they? Your teeth can move BACK into their old position just as quickly if you don't keep the brace on.

Stick with it and you'll be gorgeous :)