Orthodontists
- Thread starter tdjbubbles
- Start date
sockgirl77
Well-Known Member
No. I wore that sucker for years. Kaplan told me while I still had my braces on that I'd have a retainer behind my teeth for 8 years. But, when the braces came off he told my mom that I did not need it. Just to wear the regular retainer for a few years. I think it was 3 or 4. I can remember being out of high school. I went to an oral surgeon a few years back about my wisdom teeth and he said that my jaw was out of line again and my teeth would continue to shift. He said that Kaplan should have gone with the 8 year retainer. Of course, I do not have my parents to pay for my braces as I did as a minor, so I've put it off. Now my teeth are going crooked in the exact same way. Ugh.kwillia said:Why did you stop wearing your retainer...
kwillia
n/a
Gotcha... it's my understanding that if one uses braces to realign their teeth, one must expect to wear a retainer for life if one plans to keep them in alignment. I was wondering why someone who went through the trouble of years in braces would stop using a retainer knowing their teeth are going to get jacked up again.sockgirl77 said:
sockgirl77
Well-Known Member
I was told when I could stop wearing my retainer and did so. I hated braces and would have done anything in my power not to have to wear them again. They are the singlemost pain in the ass that I have ever experienced. Just curious, does anyone wear their retainer for life? A majority of my friends had braces as a child. None of them wear retainers.kwillia said:
Nickel
curiouser and curiouser
I stopped wearing my retainer too, and my teeth shifted back. I do still have a fixed retainer behind my bottom teeth, and they haven't budged. Definitely my fault. My best friend does still wear her retainer. I don't know about the others, as we didn't keep in touch, and if we had I doubt I'd know their retainer habits.sockgirl77 said:
kwillia
n/a
Both my kids are in braces now and they have been told that they should expect to wear retainers for life if they expect to keep their teeth aligned. Teeth have a way of going back to their original state if left on their own.sockgirl77 said:
I know several adults who are in braces again or regretting not keeping up with their retainer so I'm gonna assume the ortho doc knows what he's talking about...:shrug:
D
dems4me
Guest
Cowgirl said:
I didn't have any problems with him either. :shrug: I paid for my braces when I was 21, they worked out a payment plan with me and he was always very nice to me
as was his staff and I liked the results as did my dentist at the time :shrug:.
sockgirl77
Well-Known Member
I remember asking my mom if I could pluck his nosehairs out. 
Cowgirl
Well-Known Member
kwillia said:
I wore my retainer for *maybe* a year after I got my braces off. My wisdom teeth really started coming in, and I got them pulled about a year after my braces came off. Because the wisdom teeth shifted my teeth a tad, my jaw got really really sore. I quit wearing my retainer, and my teeth shifted. They only moved a tiny bit, and you can hardly even tell it by looking at them. My jaw never hurts now. :shrug: I figured my teeth know where they need to be.
My main reason for braces was over-crowding. I got 4 teeth pulled, and the braces straightened the rest right out.
If this retainer issue is the case, how come we don't see 60 year old women wearing retainers?
My daughter had top braces only for a cross bite. Her teeth were perfectly straight her bite was just crossed. So they told me she needed a retainer, that was a year ago. I never got the retainer. They told me she had to wear top and bottom retainer forever. I didn't think the ortho was accurate because why did she need a bottom retainer when they did nothing to her bottom teeth? Sounded like a crock to me. They were saying she needed a retainer to hold her bottom teeth which were perfectly straight in place which to me made no sense.
My son gets his off hopefully the end of this month. He had terribly crooked teeth. He will have to wear his. His eye teeth were up at the top of his gums and they have pulled them down in line. They have said at first he needs to wear it for like the 1st year then only at night. Hopefully he will do so, if not, he is 19 and if his teeth go crooked again....its on him!
My daughter had top braces only for a cross bite. Her teeth were perfectly straight her bite was just crossed. So they told me she needed a retainer, that was a year ago. I never got the retainer. They told me she had to wear top and bottom retainer forever. I didn't think the ortho was accurate because why did she need a bottom retainer when they did nothing to her bottom teeth? Sounded like a crock to me. They were saying she needed a retainer to hold her bottom teeth which were perfectly straight in place which to me made no sense.
My son gets his off hopefully the end of this month. He had terribly crooked teeth. He will have to wear his. His eye teeth were up at the top of his gums and they have pulled them down in line. They have said at first he needs to wear it for like the 1st year then only at night. Hopefully he will do so, if not, he is 19 and if his teeth go crooked again....its on him!
tdjbubbles
New Member
Thanks! Apparently Dr Kapplan isn't around here anymore and Dr Kotterwas took over, I assume....if you call Dr kapplan's number you will Dr Kotterwas. So far I did notice a huge price difference....with Dr Kuhn to get invisalign it would be 7,500 and Dr Kotterwas was 5,500. I know cheap isn't always the best way to go but that is a big difference if you ask me.
OldHillcrestGuy
Well-Known Member
Cowgirl said:
Neither did either of my boys, it was a very long process but both had problems with their teeth coming in slow or baby teeth not popping out, one had to have a wire attached onto a tooth that was way back in the gum turned the wrong way that had to be teased and gradually put into place.
We used the Clinton office and only used the St. Mary's office on a couple of occasions.
Poohhunny1605
New Member
OldHillcrestGuy said:
Hey I had that done! Soooooooooo painful. Especially when the doc pulls the wire and cuts..ewwww! I used Seidel for that, but I think I posted that earlier