First off, your teeth look GREAT! Bite looks perfect so it's awesome you achieved such a great result when you initially thought you would need surgery. Trust me when I tell you that I would have given ANYTHING to have avoided my surgery - while I'm happy with the results, I still have some numbness/reduced feeling in my upper gums and my surgery was more than 8 months ago...Anna5 wrote:Hi Samoorelaw,samoorelaw wrote:Hi again, Anna,
What type of retainers will you be getting, Hawleys or Essix or a combination of both? You and I had similar types of issues (crossbite, posterior open bite, smaller upper jaw) so I was wondering if your ortho recommended Essix or not, as I hear some orthos don't recommend Essix to those who have had open bites? I need to get a new lower retainer when my back braces come off because my lower Hawley is causing gaps/isn't comfortable, so I'm wondering if I should go with Essix or a wraparound Hawley: my ortho acted like either one is fine.
I have upper and lower bonded retainers and I get a Essix for my upper teeth. However I don't have a retainer for my lower teeth, because my ortho doesn't think this is necessary. However, I don't feel comfortable with having no retainer for my lowers yet, so I will ask my ortho tomorrow if I can still can get one. I don't want my teeth to shift after all this hard work!
I am not sure what is best for you. I think I couldn't bear a Hawley they look so uncomfortable, so I am happy I get an Essix.
I wish you very good luck. When are your braces coming off?
Anyway, it appears that the braces on my molars will be removed on December 3rd (as long as my bite holds - so far almost a week without elastics, my posterior open bite is staying closed).
Yeah, I'm leaning toward Essix myself because while my upper Hawley is quite comfortable, the lower Hawley is quite bulky and annoying. I just like Hawleys because they let you drink in them without having to remove them, plus they are more durable. I guess I'll just have to see what happens.
If your ortho thinks you don't need the lower retainer due to the bonded retainer, then perhaps you don't. My ortho switched me to night-time only wear for my lower Hawley because it was creating a couple of gaps. After almost a week of wearing the lower Hawley at night, my teeth are still staying in place thanks to the lower bonded retainer.
Let me know how you like your upper Essix and whether you get the lower Essix!
