Hawley retainers are 'outdated'?!

[missyeln123]

I've been having issues with my Essix retainer, and asked my orthodontist about a Hawley. She said that they're outdated from the 1960s and that no one uses them these days.
...according to my research from online, none of what she said seemed to be supported at all. I feel like I'm not qualified to really argue with her, seeing as I'm not an orthodontist, but I just want to know if what she says is really true (even though the internet seems to disagree in general).

My Essix retainers don't cover my very last top molars, and in the morning, I'm experiencing what I think you call 'super eruption' (the term is something like that, right?), where the uncovered molars hit first and all the other teeth hit later. Told my ortho about that too, and she claimed it wasn't possible, as teeth don't move that fast and I was imagining it.

I guess I just want some opinions on all this. I want my ortho to be right, as she's the professional that's been dragging my teeth around my mouth for two years with metal wires, and the notion that she may be 'wrong' on some issues like this worries me. So I guess I'm hoping that I'm wrong in doubting her, but... My online research all seems to contradict her claims.

Thanks for reading, guys- much appreciated and stuff

[JillD]

I never heard that Hawleys are out-dated, and I felt a difference (in a good way) within a week since I started to wear Hawleys. I like Hawleys a lot better than Essix because they are more comfortable.

If you ask me, I think your ortho is just full of shxx.

[LewisS]

I'm having the same worries. My ortho only provides Essix (I assume so since he said 'looks like a mouth guard') and I really wanted a Hawley, because in the future I want to whiten my teeth and one of my teeth are bonded, so the Essix is unlikely to fit afterwards.

I might bring that up to him actually. I don't want to have to pay for another -_-

[missyeln123]

[quote="JillD"]I never heard that Hawleys are out-dated, and I felt a difference (in a good way) within a week since I started to wear Hawleys. I like Hawleys a lot better than Essix because they are more comfortable.

If you ask me, I think your ortho is just full of shxx.[/quote]

Thanks for the information!
I don't know if I should find someone else to make my Hawley retainers, because even though it's a hassle, I've kind of lost some of the 'trust' in my current ortho. She just seems so unhelpful with everything in general. Ugh. She also left some small extraction gaps and said they'll close up when my wisdom teeth come out. Maybe she has a point? But I'd rather she just closed them all the way from the beginning.

[missyeln123]

[quote="LewisS"]I'm having the same worries. My ortho only provides Essix (I assume so since he said 'looks like a mouth guard') and I really wanted a Hawley, because in the future I want to whiten my teeth and one of my teeth are bonded, so the Essix is unlikely to fit afterwards.

I might bring that up to him actually. I don't want to have to pay for another -_-[/quote]

At least you now know that you're not along in this whole 'retainer dilemma'
When I asked my ortho to make me a Hawley, she said that they 'make them once in a blue moon' but will make them if I really really want them to. She was extremely grumpy about it, and looked at me like I was making an irrational demand, but at least the option is there. I guess you just need to throw your shame away and just demand it (nicely at first) until they give in. Hopefully your ortho will be more willing to make a Hawley for you! Just don't back down half way

Also, I've read that Hawley retainers last longer than Essix ones. My first set of Essix retainers lasted for less than a year before they snapped (although that might just be me grinding my teeth during exam period). I guess that makes them more costly in the long run.

[JillD]

I don't know about other ortho practices, but at my ortho's office Essix retainers are free (or they are already included in the treatment plan) but they charge for Hawleys. In my case, though, my ortho didn't charge anything because I wasn't happy with my bite and my ortho felt it was her responsibility to make me happy.

[debinator]

If retainers are included in price I can see why your Ortho wants you to use essix they are cheaper to make - My ortho gave me an essix to wear until my hawley comes in and told me to wear the essix when i go on vacation so that if something happens to retainer while traveling i could just have another one made but if I broke the hawley that they are much more costly to replace.

just my opinion but I think your ortho is just trying to save a buck or two

[DaisySmith]

I am having six month braces. My dentist only uses Essix too. His theory is they support/cup the entire tooth/teeth firmly in their new position from all angles, something in my case, one wire from the Hawley won't do as well. I can see his point from the way he explained it but he did say if I wanted bonded retainers as well he'd do them for free, although he said in his opinion they weren't necessary if I wore my Essix every night.

I hope you get the answers you need. We're all at the mercy of our Ortho's/Dentist's and at least with this forum you can usually find someone else who has been through something similar.

[sirwired]

Essix and Hawleys each have their place.

Essix do a better job securing tooth rotation; Hawleys tooth position.

Hawleys can maintain arch expansion if you've had either appliances or surgery to accomplish this; Essix cannot.

Essix retainers are easy, cheap, and quick to make (most orthos can do them in-office in 20-30 minutes after impressions are taken; it takes only one piece of special equipment); Hawleys are expensive and are virtually always sent out to a lab for fabrication because of the skill and equipment required.

Hawleys last longer because of the thick acrylic and wire; Essix retainers are virtually invisible.


All this said, it boggles my mind that any ortho office would pretty much never make Hawleys; there's just too many cases where the Hawley makes much more sense. I can see why patients and orthos would prefer the Essix if the two types were equal, but they aren't.

[drgnchsr36]

Essix and Hawleys each have their place.

Essix do a better job securing tooth rotation; Hawleys tooth position.

Hawleys can maintain arch expansion if you've had either appliances or surgery to accomplish this; Essix cannot.

Essix retainers are easy, cheap, and quick to make (most orthos can do them in-office in 20-30 minutes after impressions are taken; it takes only one piece of special equipment); Hawleys are expensive and are virtually always sent out to a lab for fabrication because of the skill and equipment required.

Hawleys last longer because of the thick acrylic and wire; Essix retainers are virtually invisible.


All this said, it boggles my mind that any ortho office would pretty much never make Hawleys; there's just too many cases where the Hawley makes much more sense. I can see why patients and orthos would prefer the Essix if the two types were equal, but they aren't.

Great summary! I didn't get Essix since they're more expensive and Hawley's are included. Plus, I didn't care if ppl. saw the wire or not and now that I don't wear them during the day, it's not bad at all. Anyways, each seem to have their uses, I still find it strange that they stated they were outdated.

[bbsadmin]

I agree that your orthodontist is full of shizzle.

[missyeln123]

Thanks for all the replies! Looks like I'll be asking her for a Hawley retainer at my next appointment (although I'm a little nervous about how annoyed she's going to be, despite the fact that I'm going to be the one paying for it)

Another quick question: I had one upper premolar extracted on either side, and although the gaps have more or less closed, there still remains a tiny gap of just under 1mm at the site of each extraction. Food impaction is an issue for me, and my ortho simply said that my wisdom teeth will close those gaps once they grow in. I asked her whether that would mess up the results of my braces, because, you know, teeth shifting to close gaps would presumably impact upon everything else and my bite in general. She denied it, and said that there was nothing she could do about the extraction gaps. what should I do? Just live with it? Wait for my wisdom teeth to grow in and hope for the best, and then get new retainers?! D:

I'm from the UK, and got free braces on the NHS due to a 'severe' overbite, which may be one of the reasons why she's unwilling to do anything extra for me following the removal of my braces.