Essix (?) Retainer questions....

[katee35]

Hello everyone -

i have some possibly fairly stupid questions about my new retainer which i hope some of you can answer for me - here goes!

I have been given a retainer - it's clear plastic made from a mould of my newly de-braced teeth and i have been told to wear it every night - my questions are:
- is this every night forever?
- will my teeth move if i don't wear it every night?
- do i have to replace it? or will it last me for ever more now?
- how do i clean it? do i just store it in the little case he gave me for it?

(my orthodontist is a man of few words and i'm not due to see him until october now and i figure you guys are more helpful generally!)

thanks in advance for any replies - it's lovely to have my braces off but i'm a bit freaked by the thought of wearing this thing every night for ever more!!!

Katy

[SnowSara]

I swish with mouthwash with them in in the morning, take them out and give them a quick scrub with a toothbrush and rinse, leaving them to dry in the case. At least once a week I soak them in effervescent denture cleaner and they come out sparkling and fresh
The abrasiveness of the paste can not only dull the appearance but make the plastic brittle - best to avoid even if you are only wearing at night. At least that's what I've read in the Essix documentation. Also avoid HOT water!! They will shrivel away before your eyes.

Wear it as much as you can for as long as you can (forever) - you won't regret wearing it, but you might just regret NOT wearing it when your teeth regress to their previous state! Everyone is different, some people's teeth really try to move back and some stay put and are able to get away with wearing it less.

I'm wearing mine nightly forever!