retainer makes me gag

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#1 Post by **jxds** » Mon Apr 26, 2010 2:33 pm

Hi everyone,

I was debraced three months ago, and now wear a fixed lower retainer plus upper and lower clear essix retainers. I was told to wear them 24/7 for 6 months and then switch to nighttime wear. The problem is that my lower essix will often make me gag, and I just can't wear it all the time. At night it is kind of ok but when I talk and all, it ends making me gag so I take it out quite a bit. I thought I'd get used to it and stop feeling that way but it's already been 3 months and still makes me gag sometimes...

Is it normal? have you had the same experience? I don't have a consultation until july but it is certainly making me wear the retainers less, it is really awkward feeling!

#2 Post by **Che1sea** » Fri Jun 18, 2010 8:01 pm

I always thought that the Essix retainers wouldn't gag one as much as the Hawley ones since they only go over the teeth. I have the Hawley retainers, top and bottom, and they made me gag horribly at first. I had to leave each one in a little at a time to get used to it. I seriously thought I would never be able to get used to them, but I did.

#3 Post by **Che1sea** » Fri Jun 18, 2010 8:02 pm

I always thought that the Essix retainers wouldn't gag one as much as the Hawley ones since they only go over the teeth. I have the Hawley retainers, top and bottom, and they made me gag horribly at first. I had to leave each one in a little at a time to get used to it. I seriously thought I would never be able to get used to them, but I did.

#4 Post by **starzz** » Fri Jun 18, 2010 10:29 pm

I got my braces off last week and got Essix retainers same day. Then this week I got a top Hawley, but keep Essix on bottom. The Hawley makes me gag way more! But it's only been a couple days so hopefully I'll get used to it.

The assistant was able to file/smooth down the back parts of both kinds of retainers that bothered me.

#5 Post by **alimommy1** » Sun Jun 20, 2010 11:16 am

I'm surprised that the essix make you gag. I have never had an essix, only hawleys. The first one I got didn't make me gag but it did interfere with my speech pretty bad. It was a wraparound style so the top of it covered my whole palate. The one I have now doesnt' gag or interfere with my speech at all. I hear so many people complain that they talk funny with a retainer and mine was pretty easy to get used to. I have a bonded lower retainer too, and actually with the bonded it probably won't hurt as much if you don't wear the essix on top of it - unless I am mistaken and you really need to have a removable along with a bonded. If that's true then I suppose that's why I need to go back to the ortho.... lol.

If the gaggy feeling continues, maybe your ortho can give you a hawley for your lower or somehow tweak the essix? Of course I'm not sure if that's the whole problem either, I've noticed some people are more prone to gagging than others. I've heard some people say they can't even stand doing impressions and they gag and get sick. I have never had any trouble with impressions. I can only think of one thing that used to make me gag and I probably shouldn't mention it in this particular thread

#6 Post by **alimommy1** » Sun Jun 20, 2010 11:16 am

I'm surprised that the essix make you gag. I have never had an essix, only hawleys. The first one I got didn't make me gag but it did interfere with my speech pretty bad. It was a wraparound style so the top of it covered my whole palate. The one I have now doesnt' gag or interfere with my speech at all. I hear so many people complain that they talk funny with a retainer and mine was pretty easy to get used to. I have a bonded lower retainer too, and actually with the bonded it probably won't hurt as much if you don't wear the essix on top of it - unless I am mistaken and you really need to have a removable along with a bonded. If that's true then I suppose that's why I need to go back to the ortho.... lol.

If the gaggy feeling continues, maybe your ortho can give you a hawley for your lower or somehow tweak the essix? Of course I'm not sure if that's the whole problem either, I've noticed some people are more prone to gagging than others. I've heard some people say they can't even stand doing impressions and they gag and get sick. I have never had any trouble with impressions. I can only think of one thing that used to make me gag and I probably shouldn't mention it in this particular thread

#7 Post by **jxds** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 4:35 am

Thanks! I guess it would be worse with the hawley, I've never had one of those. However, I'm close to 6 months with retainers and haven't been able to wear the lower one as instructed. When I talk with the retainer in my mouth it keeps making me gag quite badly. And yes, the impressions made me gag as well so I guess I'm just prone to that...

I have been way more compliant with the upper one, though, and I guess that wearing a bonded lower retainer makes my nighttime-only wearing schedule for my lower essix kind of enough. Tomorrow I go to the ortho, let's see what does he say.

#8 Post by **fluffybottom** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 7:36 am

Does your lower Essix go over all your teeth? Mine only goes to the second to last molars; the very last ones are left bare. If your retainer covers those teeth, maybe you could ask your ortho for a new lower retainer that leaves those bare?