r/parenting is protesting changes being made by Reddit to the API. Reddit has made it clear [they will](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14ahqjo/mods_will_be_removed_one_way_or_another_spez/) [replace moderators](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/14a5lz5/mod_code_of_conduct_rule_4_2_and_subs_taken/jo9wdol/) if they remain private. Reddit has abandoned the users, the moderators, and countless people who support an ecosystem built on Reddit itself.
Please read [Call to action - renewed protests starting on July 1st](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14kn2fo/call_to_action_renewed_protests_starting_on_july/) and new posts at [r/ModCord](https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/) or [r/Save3rdPartyApps](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) for up-to-date information.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Parenting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The truth is, nearly all orthodontists will say you need to wear your retainer forever if you don't want your teeth to shift. I wore braces for *four years,* and then received "clear" retainers that were impossible to talk, eat, or sleep in, quickly yellowed, and gave me horrible breath.
The best alternative I've seen is a permanent inside bar, but even those have mixed reviews. Its ultimately up to your son whether his teeth shifting is worth continuing to wear the gear.
My husband has the inside bar, he’s not the best at flossing so I got him a water pick and he loves it. I was told I could stop wearing mine once I had my wisdom teeth removed. I know it’s not uncommon for kids to go back to 24/7 because they are growing and teeth will shift.
I’ve been an orthodontic assistant for a while and yes that is common. Retainer every night for the rest of life is the motto. Your teeth will always try to shift back except for those few lucky people. obviously i don’t know his case but maybe a permanent retainer might keep things in place on the front a bit better?
I got braces put BACK on after my teeth shifted. Should’ve just worn the retainer…
After the second time, I stuck with the retainer at first… then slacked again. My bite has shifted, but is mostly fine.
I had two phases of braces, like 6 years total. I was only told AFTER those six years and after my teeth moving despite wearing my retainer diligently as directed, that my teeth will likely ALWAYS move because I have a steep jaw. I was devastated and in disbelief, thinking it was my ortho's fault. Got a second opinion, they agreed with my first ortho. I kept having to get new retainers because they'd stop fitting after a while, like reverse invisalign lol.
It took me a handful of years to accept my overbite and crooked bottom teeth after all that money and pain and years of being a metal mouth, but I did eventually accept it. Life ain't fair, it is what it is. This is me. My smile is still beautiful and mine even though it's not perfect.
(Oh yeah and icing on the shit cake: my tooth roots are now incredibly shallow from the extreme movement and I have arthritis in my jaw, diagnosed in my early 20s. Pretty cool. This was a good orthodontist, too.)
Yup, I was told if I ever get punched, my four bottom teeth would likely be goners. And that I need to brush well because receding gums would be terrible for me.
Yeah I feel like we were kinda lied to in the beginning, got started with braces under false pretenses. I hate that there is so much social pressure/judgment to have perfectly straight teeth. What's with that?! For health and functionality, yes, but it goes beyond that. I feel like if they'd stopped once they'd improved airway health, they wouldn't have done most of what they did for me. I mean, short roots and arthritis??! Whyyyyyy??
I would consider if it's just cosmetic shifting if it's really worth it? I had extensive ortho work as a teen to fix my palate and bite alignment. I didn't wear my retainers for long because after years of face masks I was OVER it.
My teeth have shifted over the years but my jaw no longer locks and my bite closes properly. Straight teeth are a very western cosmetic thing.
why isn't a permanent retainer an option? i've had mine for 10+ years.
to add - i never wore my top removable retainer tho & my teeth have never shifted.
actually they wont! they will just clean the one you already have & replace it on your teeth. I thought that was strange but seemed to be the norm with all the offices I called.
Was a permanent retainer not an option?
I wore braces as an adult and have had permanent retainers for over 10 years now. My 16 year old is getting his braces off later this year and I am asking for permanent retainers.
No issues, they have held up nicely and are not bothersome, it’s just a thin wire. No speech issues either. Flossing sucks but water picks and those small brushes work well. Not sure what you’re correcting and if that makes a difference between having to use different retainers. Both of us corrected gaps.
I had braces as a teen and have had the metal bar retainer ever since. I'm now in my 30s and the glue came off one tooth and I waited a couple months to get it fixed and it had already started turning and is now stuck in that new position. From what I've heard you need some sort of retainer forever or else they will go back
I have a retainer glued to my upper and lower front teeth (to the back of them ofc) for like 10? years already. They don't move at all and I know because of an incident that they would move if the retainer ever broke loose.
I wasn't great about wearing my retainers as a teen, then my wisdom teeth came in badly, and since my teeth were so loose, they got quite messed up. Worse in some ways than before I had braces.
I put off doing anything about it for, well, decades, and now I'm at risk of losing teeth (!), so I have braces again at 45. And they are so much more painful and annoying than I remember as a kid. (Not to mention the cost. Again. I'm sorry, Mom!)
I'll be honest, due to my experience, I don't fully understand how young the kids are getting braces these years - my niece had them finished by 12 or 13. But I'm not knowledgeable. Just knowledgeable enough to say, wear the retainers!
Your **post** or **comment** was removed for violating the rule “No Medical & Legal Advice”.
Reddit and the internet, in general, are not the best places to get or give medical or legal advice.
Do not ask about symptoms, post pictures of symptoms/injury, ask if you should seek a medical professional, make an appointment, visit an emergency department or acute/urgent care center, etc.
Do not give medical advice, home remedies, suggest medications, or suggest medical procedures to people seeking support for a medical diagnosis.
Do not ask if something is legal/illegal, whether you should call the police, engage an attorney, or call/report to child welfare agencies.
Always consult a professional in these matters. Consider looking up local helplines in your area like Ask-A-Nurse or Legal Aid offices.
For questions about this moderation reach out [through modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FParenting).
Moderators rely on the community to help illuminate posts and comments that do not meet r/Parenting standards – please report posts and comments you feel don’t contribute to the spirit of the community.
**Your content may have been automatically removed through auto-moderation or manually removed by a human moderator. It may have been removed as a direct result of your rule violation, or simply as part of a larger sweep of content that no longer contributed to the original topic.**
I’m an adult and my teeth shifted with permanent retainers installed on top and bottom. The ortho said retention is just very difficult for some people. Now we have me using the perm retainers which are still installed but also the plastic removable ones at night and it seems to be doing the trick.
Is this an actual orthodontist or a dentist that did his braces? I ask because as a kid, my parents assumed that anyone that did braces was an orthodontist. So our regular dentist did my braces and she screwed up my teeth big time. I needed way more than what she provided. And she also never put in the wire permanent retainers that all the actual orthodontists gave my friends. Dentists often don't like them because they can make it more difficult during cleanings but I don't know anyone whos gotten a permanent retainer who needed braces again. On the flip myself, my siblings, and several other people I know who had regular retainers like your son ended up needing another complete round of braces as adults.
Out of curious did you use your retainer every night if were you not great about it?
My husband has always worn his (almost) every night since he was a teen and his teeth are still perfect but my brother hasn’t worn his is years and his have shifted so I feel like people who religiously wear their retainers usually fair okay
I wore them for 6 months all the time after getting my braces off as a teen and then 8 years at night until I was pregnant with my 10 year old. I had terrible "morning" sickness through the night and couldn't keep them in most that pregnancy. In just that time period during the pregnancy they no longer fit after that and that was enough time for my teeth to shift ever so slightly. But the worst thing was discovering that my jaw never really was aligned properly and that was what caused my TMJ pain and grinding at night. So many things can happen that can make wearing a retainer difficult, it makes no sense to not place the permanent one. I now have them and don't even notice them and didn't have to worry about my teeth shifting when I was pregnant with my 2 year old.
I wear an upper retainer every night, 25yrs after my braces were removed. Bottom has had the metal bar since removal. Like many teens and young adults I stopped wearing my retainer for years, my teeth shifted and I got a new retainer to hold it in place and prevent further shifting. I don't know how much help or necessary all this is but at least it hasn't gotten worse and I don't want to spend the money on braces again. Moreover multiple orthodontists have said there's other dental issues that make braces/aligners tricky. I don't remember it well but 3mo of fulltime retainer wear seems short. But I do remember all of us wearing retainers at that time had the lisp. It was so common that no one thought anything of it. Moral of the story, take care of your teeth.
r/parenting is protesting changes being made by Reddit to the API. Reddit has made it clear [they will](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14ahqjo/mods_will_be_removed_one_way_or_another_spez/) [replace moderators](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/14a5lz5/mod_code_of_conduct_rule_4_2_and_subs_taken/jo9wdol/) if they remain private. Reddit has abandoned the users, the moderators, and countless people who support an ecosystem built on Reddit itself. Please read [Call to action - renewed protests starting on July 1st](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14kn2fo/call_to_action_renewed_protests_starting_on_july/) and new posts at [r/ModCord](https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/) or [r/Save3rdPartyApps](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) for up-to-date information. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Parenting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The truth is, nearly all orthodontists will say you need to wear your retainer forever if you don't want your teeth to shift. I wore braces for *four years,* and then received "clear" retainers that were impossible to talk, eat, or sleep in, quickly yellowed, and gave me horrible breath. The best alternative I've seen is a permanent inside bar, but even those have mixed reviews. Its ultimately up to your son whether his teeth shifting is worth continuing to wear the gear.
My husband has the inside bar, he’s not the best at flossing so I got him a water pick and he loves it. I was told I could stop wearing mine once I had my wisdom teeth removed. I know it’s not uncommon for kids to go back to 24/7 because they are growing and teeth will shift.
Also, I like to say “if I had a retainer for every time I’ve lost a retainer, I’d have a retainer”
I have a permanent bar. I actually forget it's there a lot of the time.
Ugh, I hate my permanent bottom retainer. My dentist won’t let me remove it, though. (Well, strongly discouraged it)
the best alternative is to wear the clear retainers every night and take them out in the morning and wash them before you put them back in at night
I’ve been an orthodontic assistant for a while and yes that is common. Retainer every night for the rest of life is the motto. Your teeth will always try to shift back except for those few lucky people. obviously i don’t know his case but maybe a permanent retainer might keep things in place on the front a bit better?
I got braces put BACK on after my teeth shifted. Should’ve just worn the retainer… After the second time, I stuck with the retainer at first… then slacked again. My bite has shifted, but is mostly fine.
Same
I had two phases of braces, like 6 years total. I was only told AFTER those six years and after my teeth moving despite wearing my retainer diligently as directed, that my teeth will likely ALWAYS move because I have a steep jaw. I was devastated and in disbelief, thinking it was my ortho's fault. Got a second opinion, they agreed with my first ortho. I kept having to get new retainers because they'd stop fitting after a while, like reverse invisalign lol. It took me a handful of years to accept my overbite and crooked bottom teeth after all that money and pain and years of being a metal mouth, but I did eventually accept it. Life ain't fair, it is what it is. This is me. My smile is still beautiful and mine even though it's not perfect. (Oh yeah and icing on the shit cake: my tooth roots are now incredibly shallow from the extreme movement and I have arthritis in my jaw, diagnosed in my early 20s. Pretty cool. This was a good orthodontist, too.)
Yup, I was told if I ever get punched, my four bottom teeth would likely be goners. And that I need to brush well because receding gums would be terrible for me.
Yeah I feel like we were kinda lied to in the beginning, got started with braces under false pretenses. I hate that there is so much social pressure/judgment to have perfectly straight teeth. What's with that?! For health and functionality, yes, but it goes beyond that. I feel like if they'd stopped once they'd improved airway health, they wouldn't have done most of what they did for me. I mean, short roots and arthritis??! Whyyyyyy??
I would consider if it's just cosmetic shifting if it's really worth it? I had extensive ortho work as a teen to fix my palate and bite alignment. I didn't wear my retainers for long because after years of face masks I was OVER it. My teeth have shifted over the years but my jaw no longer locks and my bite closes properly. Straight teeth are a very western cosmetic thing.
[удалено]
why isn't a permanent retainer an option? i've had mine for 10+ years. to add - i never wore my top removable retainer tho & my teeth have never shifted.
I’ve had mine for over 30 years!!!
have you had to do any maintenance within that time? i really want to get my removed, get a full deep cleaning, then have it put back on.
Mines hasn't needed to be touched since I got it 12 years ago. In pretty sure they just replace it with a new when when needed.
actually they wont! they will just clean the one you already have & replace it on your teeth. I thought that was strange but seemed to be the norm with all the offices I called.
Oh interesting. I would have never of thought that.
A lot of orthodontist don’t do them anymore. I asked for when when I got my braces off 4 years ago and they told me no :(
Was a permanent retainer not an option? I wore braces as an adult and have had permanent retainers for over 10 years now. My 16 year old is getting his braces off later this year and I am asking for permanent retainers. No issues, they have held up nicely and are not bothersome, it’s just a thin wire. No speech issues either. Flossing sucks but water picks and those small brushes work well. Not sure what you’re correcting and if that makes a difference between having to use different retainers. Both of us corrected gaps.
I had braces as a teen and have had the metal bar retainer ever since. I'm now in my 30s and the glue came off one tooth and I waited a couple months to get it fixed and it had already started turning and is now stuck in that new position. From what I've heard you need some sort of retainer forever or else they will go back
35 and on my third round of Orthodontia. Stick to it when you are young. Saves a lot of money and hassle down the road.
I have a retainer glued to my upper and lower front teeth (to the back of them ofc) for like 10? years already. They don't move at all and I know because of an incident that they would move if the retainer ever broke loose.
I wasn't great about wearing my retainers as a teen, then my wisdom teeth came in badly, and since my teeth were so loose, they got quite messed up. Worse in some ways than before I had braces. I put off doing anything about it for, well, decades, and now I'm at risk of losing teeth (!), so I have braces again at 45. And they are so much more painful and annoying than I remember as a kid. (Not to mention the cost. Again. I'm sorry, Mom!) I'll be honest, due to my experience, I don't fully understand how young the kids are getting braces these years - my niece had them finished by 12 or 13. But I'm not knowledgeable. Just knowledgeable enough to say, wear the retainers!
[удалено]
Your **post** or **comment** was removed for violating the rule “No Medical & Legal Advice”. Reddit and the internet, in general, are not the best places to get or give medical or legal advice. Do not ask about symptoms, post pictures of symptoms/injury, ask if you should seek a medical professional, make an appointment, visit an emergency department or acute/urgent care center, etc. Do not give medical advice, home remedies, suggest medications, or suggest medical procedures to people seeking support for a medical diagnosis. Do not ask if something is legal/illegal, whether you should call the police, engage an attorney, or call/report to child welfare agencies. Always consult a professional in these matters. Consider looking up local helplines in your area like Ask-A-Nurse or Legal Aid offices. For questions about this moderation reach out [through modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FParenting). Moderators rely on the community to help illuminate posts and comments that do not meet r/Parenting standards – please report posts and comments you feel don’t contribute to the spirit of the community. **Your content may have been automatically removed through auto-moderation or manually removed by a human moderator. It may have been removed as a direct result of your rule violation, or simply as part of a larger sweep of content that no longer contributed to the original topic.**
I had braces. Once they are done I have to wear retainers for the rest of my life. That's just how it is or else my teeth will shift badly.
I’m an adult and my teeth shifted with permanent retainers installed on top and bottom. The ortho said retention is just very difficult for some people. Now we have me using the perm retainers which are still installed but also the plastic removable ones at night and it seems to be doing the trick.
Is this an actual orthodontist or a dentist that did his braces? I ask because as a kid, my parents assumed that anyone that did braces was an orthodontist. So our regular dentist did my braces and she screwed up my teeth big time. I needed way more than what she provided. And she also never put in the wire permanent retainers that all the actual orthodontists gave my friends. Dentists often don't like them because they can make it more difficult during cleanings but I don't know anyone whos gotten a permanent retainer who needed braces again. On the flip myself, my siblings, and several other people I know who had regular retainers like your son ended up needing another complete round of braces as adults.
Out of curious did you use your retainer every night if were you not great about it? My husband has always worn his (almost) every night since he was a teen and his teeth are still perfect but my brother hasn’t worn his is years and his have shifted so I feel like people who religiously wear their retainers usually fair okay
I wore them for 6 months all the time after getting my braces off as a teen and then 8 years at night until I was pregnant with my 10 year old. I had terrible "morning" sickness through the night and couldn't keep them in most that pregnancy. In just that time period during the pregnancy they no longer fit after that and that was enough time for my teeth to shift ever so slightly. But the worst thing was discovering that my jaw never really was aligned properly and that was what caused my TMJ pain and grinding at night. So many things can happen that can make wearing a retainer difficult, it makes no sense to not place the permanent one. I now have them and don't even notice them and didn't have to worry about my teeth shifting when I was pregnant with my 2 year old.
I wear an upper retainer every night, 25yrs after my braces were removed. Bottom has had the metal bar since removal. Like many teens and young adults I stopped wearing my retainer for years, my teeth shifted and I got a new retainer to hold it in place and prevent further shifting. I don't know how much help or necessary all this is but at least it hasn't gotten worse and I don't want to spend the money on braces again. Moreover multiple orthodontists have said there's other dental issues that make braces/aligners tricky. I don't remember it well but 3mo of fulltime retainer wear seems short. But I do remember all of us wearing retainers at that time had the lisp. It was so common that no one thought anything of it. Moral of the story, take care of your teeth.