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How long did you wear your retainer for after braces?

top one - not long enough, maybe 6 months and then only at night, my teeth moved a lot but are still straight. My bottom teeth had a permanent one that fell out after about 8 years, within 2 days they shifted and now one sticks out a bit, I got a retainer that corrects this and holds them in place but it hurts so much that I don't wear it (and the shift is not that noticeable)
 
I'm wearing mine for the next 2 weeks (been 2 years since I got my braces off), but then they're putting a wire round the back that should hold them in place permanently.
 
I wore mine for 6 months after then stopped. My teeth haven't really shifted all that much. I still have a permanent bottom one though.
 
I wore both top and bottom for like 8 months and then i completely stopped. my top teeth hasnt shifted, but my bottom teeth are uniformly crooked, so it's not soooo bad hehe.
 
I still have my permanent bottom one, and wore my top one until I lost it (all I can think of is that I threw it away; I went to put it in my mouth one night and it was gone).
 
I put them in at night once a week or so.. will most likely continue that for as long as I want my teeth to stay where they are 🙂
 
they told me to wear mine the rest of my life. i told them i'd had metal in mouth for half of my life already and they were crazy to expect me to go on wearing that crap. i let them leave the permanent bottom one in since i don't have to mess with it and it doesn't show or affect my eating/kissing.

10 years later and my teeth still look perfect. every time i see a new dentist, they always ooh and aah over them. i've even had girls comment on how straight they are.
 
i wore mine for 2 weeks after, when i said *%#@& it im done with this. I wore my braces for 5-6 years? its been like 3 since i got em off, they havent shifted TOO much
 
Originally posted by: tfcmasta97
i wore mine for 2 weeks after, when i said *%#@& it im done with this. I wore my braces for 5-6 years? its been like 3 since i got em off, they havent shifted TOO much
why after going through with braces for 5-6 years did you not care if your teeth shifted?

 
About a year of wearing it all the time. Then about 2 years of wearing it at night. Eventually, I just stopped bothering, but technically, I'm still supposed to wear it (even though it no longer fits, 2 years after I stopped wearing it at all).
 
I've had braces before, but even with retainers, my teeth still shifted, so Im getting braces again. My doc tells me that I'll have to have em again for 14-16 months, so that's not that bad.
 
You should wear them for a long time. You don't want relapse. Relapse can happen after a few years. Protect that investment of braces.
 
Originally posted by: Brainonska511
About a year of wearing it all the time. Then about 2 years of wearing it at night. Eventually, I just stopped bothering, but technically, I'm still supposed to wear it (even though it no longer fits, 2 years after I stopped wearing it at all).
it doesn't fit cause your teeth have moved.

 
Originally posted by: Mikey
I've had braces before, but even with retainers, my teeth still shifted, so Im getting braces again. My doc tells me that I'll have to have em again for 14-16 months, so that's not that bad.
were they removeable retainers? this time go for lingually bonded retainers.
 
I still wear the top and it's been 5-6 years since I've had them. I never wore the bottom, too uncomfortable.
 
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