I like that I can bite normally with the Hawley and that I can drink liquid other than water without worrying it's getting trapped on my teeth. I'm not really cool with eating and then popping my Essix back in. I'm already prone to cavities. I also don't like the edges around the Essix, I find myself running my tongue over the sharp edge all the time, but it is still a new thing. I will say I prefer talking with the Essix in; the Hawley blocks part of my palate and even though I can talk pretty well, it's not perfect.parsleysage wrote:What do you like better about the Hawley? The last few days I've been wearing my Essix about 10-12 hours a day (approximately what was recommended) and they are still uncomfortable for 2-5 minutes every single time I put them in. I don't like the fact that my teeth don't fit together when I'm wearing them so that's why I haven't upped the time past what my ortho recommended. I think I'm just cycling through all the new emotions that come along with a new "project"! I'm sure in a couple weeks I will be over them like I was over braces!jaime wrote:I know what you mean about the Essix hurting! I have both a Hawley and an Essix. The Hawley was included in my contract but I bought an Essix because I wanted something clear. I actually prefer the Hawley and I didn't expect that all. The Essix really hurt my teeth the first few days.
Glad to hear the RetainerBrite worked well for you. That's what I bought too (and just a generic retainer bath) and so far so good. I brought my sister some tablets and we cleaned her Essix. She's had it for two years and only ever brushed it. She was amazed how much cleaner it was. I like to soak my retainers and then brush them gently with toothpaste afterwards.
Getting my braces off right before Christmas was a blessing in that I was distracted...I'm like you, I'm still preoccupied thinking about it!