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*Treatment results may vary
Retainers
I have a permanent retainer on the bottom front 6, bonded to each tooth. I have these two removable retainers for the top. The clear Essix retainer I wear 4 hours a day during the daytime, and the wraparound Hawley retainer with the wire I wear overnight. I clench and grind my teeth at night, so that’s why I have the Hawley. The ortho had it made with a buildup behind the front teeth (the clear part in the photo) like a bite plate, so that my front bottom teeth hit there and that’s the only place my teeth touch. It definitely keeps me from bruxing mostly, but I do find that I’m holding my teeth together on the bite plate in the morning. It has allowed great vertical settling of my molars since they don’t touch and aren’t held in place overnight except horizontally. I like that he does the wraparound instead of a regular Hawley because it supports those back teeth a little more than the regular kind.
On another note- I HATE the permanent retainer. I think I would have to wear a bottom removable full time, as opposed to the 4 hours a day I have to do the top, so it is nice to have some freedom for part of the day. But cleaning around it is a nightmare. It’s harder than braces because it’s flush against the teeth, and pulling the floss threader between my actual teeth rather than trying to get it under the wire feels very uncomfortable on my gums, like I could be damaging them. I don’t think I can keep this thing forever. I’m hoping that after a year I can remove it and switch to a removable at nights only. My next appointment is 6 months away to check on retention, and I’ll discuss this with the ortho then and see what he says. I know those teeth are particularly prone to relapse, but I know I’ll wear my retainers at night forever. I would think a properly maintained Essix would hold them pretty well, even if not as perfectly as the permanent.
On another note- I HATE the permanent retainer. I think I would have to wear a bottom removable full time, as opposed to the 4 hours a day I have to do the top, so it is nice to have some freedom for part of the day. But cleaning around it is a nightmare. It’s harder than braces because it’s flush against the teeth, and pulling the floss threader between my actual teeth rather than trying to get it under the wire feels very uncomfortable on my gums, like I could be damaging them. I don’t think I can keep this thing forever. I’m hoping that after a year I can remove it and switch to a removable at nights only. My next appointment is 6 months away to check on retention, and I’ll discuss this with the ortho then and see what he says. I know those teeth are particularly prone to relapse, but I know I’ll wear my retainers at night forever. I would think a properly maintained Essix would hold them pretty well, even if not as perfectly as the permanent.
They’re off!!
Braces are off! It was not as bad as last time, I think my orthodontist drilled into the clear brackets more than last time, so they were slightly easier to break off my teeth. The metal brackets and molar bands came off like it was nothing. I immediately went and treated myself to a new lipstick and took this pic in the car when I left! I’ll upload some before and after comparison pictures later. It feels so good to be free! Next stop- popcorn city!
Keeping Clean
Now that I'm almost finished with my journey, I thought I'd share my cleaning routine which has kept my regular dentist happy during my treatment. I got myself an oral-b electric toothbrush. I love this thing. It times out 2 full minutes in 30 second intervals so you easily brush each quadrant of your mouth for the right time. The ortho techs have also commented that my teeth look very clean from brushing. The replacement heads probably are slightly more expensive than buying regular toothbrushes, but honestly if you use a coupon or get them on amazon not by that much.
My second most important item was a waterpik. I have one of the big countertop models, not a nice little travel sized one, but it's nice because one tank of water lets me clean my whole mouth without refilling it in the middle. I actually use the waterpik instead of flossing, as my regular dentist recommended. I started using this right before I got braces actually, and it improved the health of my gums immensely. I had slight gum recession in places, and using the waterpik every day actually decreased the recession I had a little bit, and I think stopped it from continuing. The "pockets" as my dentist calls the areas of recession measure slightly smaller now. I now also have no bleeding when I get an aggressive cleaning. I have gotten in the habit of adding a splash of hydrogen peroxide to the tank, which I think has also made a big difference over water alone. Braces wise, I have found that there are things - like little poppy seeds - that if they get stuck right in the bracket itself are impossible to remove via any other means than waterpik. Making sure to stimulate your gums will help your teeth align more quickly, and your options for gum stimulation are basically flossing or a waterpik. I found the flossing process far too tedious trying to get the floss under the archwire between every single tooth, so the waterpik has been great.
If I had to choose between the fancy toothbrush and the waterpik, I'd take the waterpik. You can make sure to brush correctly for the right amount of time with a regular toothbrush with just a timer and some elbow grease. You can't really duplicate the effects of the waterpik.
Finally I used a mouthwash before bed that my orthodontist recommended to protect from cavities and white spots in the enamel caused by braces. It's called Phos Flur, and it's just a high fluoride content mouth wash. It is available at drugstores and grocery stores, but my ortho sold it at cost to his patients so I always bought it from him at about 66% of the retail price. In my area it's about $15 in the store, and he gave it to us for $10.
My second most important item was a waterpik. I have one of the big countertop models, not a nice little travel sized one, but it's nice because one tank of water lets me clean my whole mouth without refilling it in the middle. I actually use the waterpik instead of flossing, as my regular dentist recommended. I started using this right before I got braces actually, and it improved the health of my gums immensely. I had slight gum recession in places, and using the waterpik every day actually decreased the recession I had a little bit, and I think stopped it from continuing. The "pockets" as my dentist calls the areas of recession measure slightly smaller now. I now also have no bleeding when I get an aggressive cleaning. I have gotten in the habit of adding a splash of hydrogen peroxide to the tank, which I think has also made a big difference over water alone. Braces wise, I have found that there are things - like little poppy seeds - that if they get stuck right in the bracket itself are impossible to remove via any other means than waterpik. Making sure to stimulate your gums will help your teeth align more quickly, and your options for gum stimulation are basically flossing or a waterpik. I found the flossing process far too tedious trying to get the floss under the archwire between every single tooth, so the waterpik has been great.
If I had to choose between the fancy toothbrush and the waterpik, I'd take the waterpik. You can make sure to brush correctly for the right amount of time with a regular toothbrush with just a timer and some elbow grease. You can't really duplicate the effects of the waterpik.
Finally I used a mouthwash before bed that my orthodontist recommended to protect from cavities and white spots in the enamel caused by braces. It's called Phos Flur, and it's just a high fluoride content mouth wash. It is available at drugstores and grocery stores, but my ortho sold it at cost to his patients so I always bought it from him at about 66% of the retail price. In my area it's about $15 in the store, and he gave it to us for $10.
Provider Review
Dr. Mess
Excellent information sharing and question answering, which for me is very important. A lot of time in appointments is spent with staff, which is fine because they are very friendly and competent. Always TONS of people in the waiting room though- inconvenient but I take it as a good sign! Update- I changed time spent with me from 3 to 5 stars because the orthodontist bonded my brackets himself. Bracket placement basically IS the prescription, so it is the most important part of the process.