Why do I have 3 little springs in my Hawley retainers?

If you have finished with your orthodontic treatment and are wearing retainers (or will be soon), this is a special place to connect with others in your (enviable) situation. Ask a question or make a comment about life post-braces.

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felicia
Posts: 371
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 10:35 am

Why do I have 3 little springs in my Hawley retainers?

#1 Post by felicia »

I have one in the upper retainer, and is pushing one of my incisors forward...and it hurts exactly like after an adjustment.
I have 2 in the bottom one, but these 2 don't hurt.
I've never seen retainers like mine.
I wonder...did my ortho order them like this, or did the people in the lab decided to make them like this?
Can somebody help me with some answers?

opera^gal
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:10 pm
Location: NYC

#2 Post by opera^gal »

I have 2 springs in my upper hawley, to maintain the space from moving my incisors forward, which created 2 small gaps between the lateral incisors and canines. These will be corrected with veneers down the line, but until everything has settled, the springs keep the space.
2/2/09: metal braces T/B
8/20/10: braced removed (18mons, 18days), hawley retainers T/B
9/16/10: LR central incisor extracted (failed root canal)
2/23/11: implant/bone graft
9/15/11: implant crown placed, lower lingual bonding corrected
9/21/11: upper bonding on lateral gaps from upper arch forward advancement
10/17/11: new hawley retainers w/plastic tubing over the 'social six' wire, both T/B

SDFD TSchott
Posts: 1680
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2006 11:36 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

#3 Post by SDFD TSchott »

I don't have them yet but I have pending treatment with upper and lower Hawley retainers that will have screws in them that I have to turn a few times a week for 9 months, it focuses on just one tooth instead of all.

As soon as I get them I will post pictures.

PS: No they are not expanders, they are Hawley retainers with a sort of expansion screw for one particular tooth.

Image

Adjustment Sept 14th, 2018
Braces back on August 06, 2018
Braces off April 02, 2008

alimommy1
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2008 7:58 pm
Location: CA

#4 Post by alimommy1 »

I have two springs in my hawley, and they make my teeth sore, my lower one doesn't have springs but the loops are adjusted. I think it depends what your ortho is trying to accomplish with the retainers. Yours sound active, like mine. I have my story posted somewhere under my name, and I have some photos there showing the springs. Do yours look the same?

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Kristiana
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:44 am

#5 Post by Kristiana »

I have two springs in my new bottom retainer, and my orthodontist has said they are for moving the canine(s).

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