I'm going to get braces this year!

[NeilH]

perfect results NeilH!! you must be very happy! when you have that good results you know it was worth it! i hope that you will always have reasons to show your perfect smile!

Thank you, I sure am I hope so too!

[NeilH]

Neil your teeth look fantastic! You can tell your orthodontist is a perfectionist You must be over the moon. I bet the removable retainers take some getting used to, I can imagine it's tough wearing them all the time when it impacts your speech so much, but you'll get used to it quickly I am sure

Thank you, I'm really pleased with how its all turned out and yes, he is and I'm delighted that he is a perfectionist although I'm sure many would rather get their braces off than wait for all the tiny refinements he does to produce the very best results possible for his patients. I had a chat with another of his patients recently and the conversation went something like (me) so when are you finishing? (them) I've no idea, its been two and a half years but my friend has been a lot longer so I don't want to ask (me) has he given you any indication (them) no, but he's told me they are not coming off until it's done

I'm only wearing the Essix retainers at the moment and yes, I thought they would be easy to adapt to but no, they haven't been. They are really comfortable and very discreet to look at, its just whenever I open my mouth to say anything, it all comes out wrong! Not just slightly lispy, I can cope with that, but its like I'm sucking an overly large toffee whilst trying to speak and nothing appears to come out in a manner that anyone can comprehend. I dread when people say, 'have you got a minute' as it means I'm going to need to speak to them and it doesn't matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to master speaking clearly with them. I have been visiting a number of Invisalign sites to try to learn the secrets of speaking and all the advice I can get is just keep going and to practice talking to people. I must admit to removing them this afternoon before a couple of tricky conversations which I shouldn't do, its just you can't really give someone a ticking off effectively if they can't understand you . I'm popping back to the ortho tomorrow to get the Hawley's checked as they are a little loose and the bottom one presses uncomfortably (read painfully) onto some soft tissue making wear impossible at the moment.

So overall, I'm finding retainers a lot harder than braces!

[NeilH]

OMG NeilH I can't believe I missed your big reveal! Congratulations to you! I am still horribly struggling with 6MS but should be off by before the summer! I think I will insist! Your teeth look fabulous! I am going to have a look at what I have missed so far! Thanks for all you support, I guess you will now retire (at last) from this group! Karen

Hi, thank you, I'm really pleased with my smile! I keep meaning to post some proper finishing photos and some before and after shots so must get round to doing this sometime soon. I have tried to keep my story going but fear I'm going to run out of things to talk about soon. I will keep this thread going for a while as I adapt to wearing retainers and after each appointment but eventually will fade away into orthodontic retirement like countless others have done before me. I still enjoy participating in this forum so I'm going to be around for a while longer yet, and certainly long enough to see how you are getting on and to see your finished results! Keep going, I'm sure you are going to be pleased with the results and make sure you update your story!!

[kppixie]

Hi
Thanks for your reply! Oh yes, it would be great to see some before and after photos of your teeth. I guess I'm finding it hard to believe my braces will ever come off!I will really have to make an effort to post more progress on here, I think I lost heart half way because of my difficulties with SMS, ah well I have to keep going, and as you say, it will be worth it! Thanks again

[oldfart]

Does your Essix cover your palate, or just your teeth? I've seen both. Fitting the Hawleys can be tough. Mine is finally perfect as when it goes on, it stays on. Just the extended tongue guards on the side affect my speech.

I never had much speech issues with the Essix. Just keep singing to the radio in the car.

Post a pic of your retainers.. always curious about the different types.

of

[NeilH]

Does your Essix cover your palate, or just your teeth? I've seen both. Fitting the Hawleys can be tough. Mine is finally perfect as when it goes on, it stays on. Just the extended tongue guards on the side affect my speech.

I never had much speech issues with the Essix. Just keep singing to the radio in the car.

Post a pic of your retainers.. always curious about the different types.

of

Hi, my Essix retainers just covers my teeth and not my palate. I know this type can be good at maintaining arch width so may ask for a set of these and see what they say. I'm still finding speaking a bit of a challenge but will keep going. I have found on some occasions I'm sounding a bit better so maybe my tongue is getting used to them now. I think the issue is caused by the bit behind the fixed retainer being a bit more bulky so that it clears the wire resulting in less room for my tongue.

I will update on my recent appointment and the Hawley's later this evening.

[NeilH]

Just a quick update on my most recent appointment. I was having some difficulty with my Hawley retainers as they were a little loose and the bottom one pressed uncomfortably on soft tissue roughly where my teeth roots would be so gave the practice a call and they were able to fit me in a few days later. The top one was tightened really easily and now fits really well and is comfortable to wear. The bottom one was filed down in various places and tightened to ensure a good fit. I left the surgery with them being not only comfortable but well fitting and after a few days decided to try them out for a night. The top one is fine but the bottom one is still pretty sore in places to the point where it was keeping me awake during the night and I had to eventually remove it. I could see a couple of small sores in the morning so at least now know exactly where it needs trimming next time I go for an appointment.

I'm getting more used to the Essix retainers and don't think much about them when wearing them other than when I speak or think about food. Both of these happen pretty often so on the speech front, its just a case of needing to keep practicing and not being tempted to take them out whilst at work. I'm aiming for a fully compliant week so lets see how I do. In so far as eating is concerned, its proving to be an opportunity to stop snacking which must be a benefit but as I had 'one of those weeks' last week, was craving chocolate far too often and only succumbed on a few occasions.

My fixed retainers are great, I hardly notice them and keeping them clean has so far not been an issue (it's early days I know!)

The motivation to keep taking photo's appears to have wained and I will get round to some proper finishing shots and some side by side comparisons when I get a minute as I know several of you are keen to see them. I'm looking into teeth whitening at the moment and think this will be a good investment so need to save some money for this as its quite expensive at around £450. I know there are cheaper do it yourself options but in the UK, the legislation has been changed so that only dentists and therapists working under the prescription of a dentist can perform this in chair procedure so costs are subsequently higher.

I have a general dentist appointment in a couple of weeks and other than that, nothing until my next retainer check in May.

[NeilH]

One of my team looked at me today and asked if I had my braces removed? Erm, yes, almost a month ago! It just goes to prove how little people notice you have them.

[metalliKa]

One of my team looked at me today and asked if I had my braces removed? Erm, yes, almost a month ago! It just goes to prove how little people notice you have them.

My bf is counting down the days to my debracing. I told him maybe two more months and he groaned. Anyways, I won't tell him once my debanding date is definite and wonder if he'll notice I got them removed.

Glad all is going well so far for you Neil!

[NeilH]

I have spent a day in the mountains skiing and didn't get round to putting my retainer back in after breakfast, or during the morning, or after lunch or in fact not at all today. I now know what people mean when they say their retainer is tight and sore. Must try harder...

[NeilH]

Hi everyone, I haven't fallen off the planet, I've just been a little busy recently and have been neglecting my updates and posts. It's good to be back so thought I would share a quick update on retainers now that I have had them for about a month and a half.

Firstly my fixed retainers. I have them on both my upper and lower front six teeth and I'm pleased to report they are still intact and working well. Generally they are no bother at all and are completely unobtrusive. I do find however, that almost daily, my tongue starts to get quite sore by the mid afternoon and this is because I find myself quite aggressively fiddling with the retainers in one or two spots where there is a longer expanse of wire. I don't know why I do this, it annoys the heck out of me but has become a habit. I'm actually quite glad to put the Essix retainers on as it gives my tongue a break so may mention this at my next appointment to see if there is anything they can suggest.

I have finally got used to the Essix retainers and find them comfortable and easy to wear. I occasionally have some minor speech issues but this is short lived and improves by speaking louder and more clearly. I wear the Essix every night and for some hours during the day. If I leave them out for the whole day, the top one is quite tight to get back on particularly around a couple of my back teeth on one side. The bottom one goes on no problem so guess there isn't much movement going on there. I do sometimes find them a bit of a nuisance, an example being when I bumped into a friend recently who suggested we went for a coffee. I didn't feel like finding a bathroom to take them out and then trying to locate a suitable pocket to store them (I didn't have my retainer case with me) so made an excuse and probably missed out on a good catch up. I think this will improve in the future as I wear them less but for now, there is a degree of forward planning that goes into each day around retainer wear.

I haven't had much cause to wear my Hawley retainers yet as I haven't been travelling quite as much. My bottom one is still quite sore in places so definitely needs looking at next time I have an appointment. It is wearable and the pain goes away after a while but certainly nowhere as comfortable as the top one.

So overalls, braces are much easier than retainers, I don't know how people cope with years of Invisalign and I have the greatest respect for those with lingual braces!

Photos, yes, I know I promised some and really will get round to it soon!

[NeilH]

It has been ages since I have posted so time for a quick update (and thanks for the prompt Karen!). I went for my three month retainer review a couple of weeks ago and I'm pleased to report all is still going well. My Essix retainers are still worn every night without fail and these are very comfortable. I still get a little lisp when speaking with them so just need to practice more during the day. My Hawley retainers are great, very comfortable and much easier to travel with as I don't have to keep taking them out every time I want to have a drink or a snack. They are still a little hard to speak with but again this is simply down to me not getting enough practice so I need to do something about this. My fixed retainers are doing their job but around mid afternoon most days, my tongue starts attacking one spot and ends up getting really sore, so much so that I sometimes need to use one of my retainers to give it a break. I mentioned this to my ortho therapist who had a good look and filed away some of the composite attaching the wire to the tooth where I indicated the problem was but she could not find anything sharp so guess this is just where I force my tongue behind the wire.

I no longer have to wear my retainers full time but feel that going to night time wear only is too premature as the Essix retainers can be a little tight so generally wear my retainers more hours than required. I suspect with time, I will wear my retainers less but will still commit to night time wear as I want to keep my teeth where they are for a long time. I have another retainer appointment in August so will update more then but hopefully between now and then will be undertaking some whitening. This is quite a confusing topic as well given the many options out there so I feel I need to do some more research before making a decision about which treatment to go with.

I have also been involved in a number of interesting orthodontic related projects including being invited to the British Orthodontic Society to meet a number of their members and to attend the launch of their new guide to adult orthodontics. This was as a result of some writing I have been doing about adult orthodontics and braces and may lead to other opportunities in the future. Watch this space!

Photos to follow...eventually...

[kppixie]

Hi Neil

Good to see your progress on here! You are ahead of me, but it's great to hear that you did get used to your Essix retainers! How long did you wear your retainers full time? My dentist said on my letter 'forever'!!

It sounds like you have embraced your teeth journey now being involved in the British Orthodontic Society, pretty exciting stuff.

Hope all is well and your teeth are still making you smile!

Karen

[ItsFreyja]

NeilH, I missed your original debracing post while I was away from the board and am just now seeing it. WOW! Your teeth look fantastic and I am glad you are nearly free from having to think about retainers in the daytime. Congratulations!

[NeilH]

Hi Neil

Good to see your progress on here! You are ahead of me, but it's great to hear that you did get used to your Essix retainers! How long did you wear your retainers full time? My dentist said on my letter 'forever'!!

It sounds like you have embraced your teeth journey now being involved in the British Orthodontic Society, pretty exciting stuff.

Hope all is well and your teeth are still making you smile!

Karen

Hi Karen,

I was instructed to wear my Essix retainers full time for just one month then go to 12 hours a day. There is evidence that 12 hours is just as effective as full time wear but I felt this was a little too soon so maintained almost full time wear for a bit longer. I now wear them just at nights but as they can still be quite tight to get on, frequently wear them more which I find to be better. I find the Essix retainers no issue at all and they are very comfortable. The only annoying this is having to remove them for eating and drinking that does cause me to plan a bit more! How are you getting on with yours?