Women who have worn Braces: Do You Wear Your Retainer at Night?

[Pitt Chick]

I wear a retainer every night.

Yes, your teeth can shift. They crowd forward as you get older. There is actually a big business with adult braces because of all the moving!

[Chanteuse d' Opéra]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

I wear a retainer every night.

Yes, your teeth can shift. They crowd forward as you get older. There is actually a big business with adult braces because of all the moving!

Thanks Pitt Chick, how often do you tighten your retainers? Last time I did mine was summer 2012...2 years later & I'm thinking about doing it again...

[funymann]

Originally Posted by oh-eve

Better safe than sorry. I would use them FOREVER. Keeps your head from shrinking when you get old.

You are in rare form today huh?

[NWGirl74]

I got braces when I was 34 due to a shift in my jaw. I got them off when I was 36. I'm 40 now. I have a wire retainer cemented behind my bottom teeth and I wear top and another bottom retainer at night.

I saw this was originally posted in the relationships forum. I haven't dated anyone with the retainers (did briefly with braces) but my best friend (male) has seen them numerous times and says they make me look younger. I have wondered if they'd be an issue when I met someone and like everything else, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

[PJSaturn]

I wore a retainer from age 14 to 50. For decades, if I skipped even one night, I could tell that my front teeth had shifted a little.

When I was on overnight dates, I discreetly set my retainer aside, in its box, during intimate times. It was never a problem. I didn't take the retainer out or put it in while my boyfriend watched. It was very easy to be discreet about it.

.

[chellemi808]

I've had a bottom retainer cemented in for almost 25 years, behind my front six teeth. Despite this, two of the bottom, front teeth have shifted and one protrudes further than the others.

I had some huge wisdom teeth come in after the retainer was put in and they stayed there until the end of last year. I think they caused overcrowding and I might not have had an issue with the front teeth shifting if I had listed to the dentist and had them remove years ago before they even came in.

I wonder sometimes how much more they would have shifted if I didn't have that bottom retainer cemented in there.

[Mariaandrew01]

After leaving braces teeths try to shift to their original place but not completely it will shift but quite a bit. Thats why to avoid that dentists recommend to wear retainers and I think its not at all bad idea to wear retainers. I think you definitely want to keep your teeths in right place and for that whenever you feel you can wear retainer you can wear that.

[DaniellaG]

I had braces when I was 13. I am not sure how long I wore a retainer at night but eventually did not. I really started noticing my teeth shifting and one tooth especially knocked against another. So at 30 I got Invisalign. I finished with that after a year or so and since then and for the rest of my life I will wear a retainer.
The orthodontist did say that even people who wear their retainer but had braces as a kid may see shifting. Now as an adult though I hope they will stay put if I wear the retainer.