Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi, I've been using the essix retainers provided by my UK braces orthodontist for several years and think I should get a replacement soon, and am wondering what the best route is. Some questions I have:

Should I see an orthodontist (I now live in NYC) or use an online service (if so, any recommendations)?

I have moulds that were given to me following essix retainer creation from my braces orthodontist - should I use these to create any new impressions (since the current retainers still fit) or just use my teeth? Accounting for accuracy, error rate, etc.

Thanks for any help.

I have no experience with online services, so really can't comment on that option. If it were me, I would definitely see an orthodontist, and bring any records (in addition to the molds) that you might have. I'd recommend making a few exploratory calls to see what their attitude might be toward making retainers from your ortho in UK. If they seem opposed, I would ask why. There may well be good reasons (beyond the profit motive). A good examination would not be a bad idea, once you find someone you trust. Best of luck to you.

Thanks for the advice. Would definitely provide my records to a new orthodontist, including scans, and moulds until I can confirm they aren't needed.

I was shopping around for orthodontists for a replacement set of essix retainers and got quotes ranging from about $250/set from my original (UK) orthodontist (after conversion from GBP) to $600/set (a LES orthodontist in NYC). Not sure why it should vary so much for the same type of retainers between different orthodontists.

I was also browsing online services due to convenience and cost (typically ~$130/set). Two of the seemingly most prominent Google Search results are clearretain.com and sportingsmiles.com. However, the former uses a seemingly uncommonly-used material called Invisacryl Ultra which I'd never heard of so I'm somewhat skeptical, whereas the latter has some sketchy complaints and company replies on the BBB and elsewhere. Other results I found include retainersdirect.com (not many reviews) and justretainers.com (new company). I also checked out more established companies, like byteme or smiledirectclub, but they apparently offer retainers only to prior aligner customers.