2 week gap between removing braces and getting retainers ok?

Message

#1 Post by **bracemyself** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 4:04 pm

I am getting my braces off and because of some constraints I NEED to get my braces off on a certain date. The ortho told me that the teeth could move in the 2-week time window where I get the braces off and get my new retainer.

Do teeth really relapse THAT quickly? How much can I expect them to move? Does it really get that bad in just 2 weeks?

I plan on wearing retainer religiously as adviced.

#2 Post by **TsuKata** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:22 pm

I don't know the answer, but I'm wondering about this, too. Since they have to do a new mold to fit the retainer, it has to not be started until the braces are off, right? So how do they have you without anything for those first weeks? It seems like you'd lose progress.

I'm really scared of the first weeks after my braces come off. When they take the wire off for an adjustment, my teeth feel so loose and odd. I'm not sure I want to go straight to tooth nudity!

#3 Post by **strugglebuggy** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:56 pm

Hi,

I can tell you that I was worried about the same thing. Especially because I am a musician and I was afraid the instrument would make my teeth moved. I went naked for 2 days before they gave me my temp essix retainers and I can tell you that they were tight even after 2 days. Maybe your ortho can give you temporary retainers to hold your teeth in place until you get your real ones. That is what mine did.

#4 Post by **Betty Bat** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:21 pm

Big discussion about this in the Naked Tooth board. There seemed to be some very strong opinions about this. Many folks thought there should be no elapsed time between brace removal and retainer; other folks thought that you could be free for a few days - but not weeks. Again, there was a rather heated discussion about this on the other board that you might want to look at.

Based on my experience (I went free for 4 days between the time that my uppers were taken off and I got my upper Essix retainer and I went free for 8 days between the time that my lowers were taken off and I got my lower Hawley retainer), it seems like two weeks is pushing it a little far. My ortho was more liberal than most but a week was about as far as he would push it.

#5 Post by **Lisa65** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:24 pm

2 weeks sounds like a long time to me. Can your ortho not give you bonded retainers (the ones glued to the back of the teeth) at least until your proper retainers are made?

#6 Post by **Lisa65** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 5:10 pm

I've heard before that Essix retainers *can* be made from impressions taken prior to debanding. They grind the bracket part off the impressions before making the retainers of course

They might not be a perfect fit, but surely they'd be better than nothing.