That lisp is so real—my kid sounded like Daffy Duck for a solid month.
It was weirdly endearing, but I could tell it bugged her. The “hockey puck” feeling never totally goes away, does it? She kept trying to hide her retainer in napkins at breakfast just to get a break from it.“I swear, I sounded like I’d just come from the dentist every morning.”
About teeth shifting... our ortho went all dramatic too, but honestly, he was right. She skipped wearing her retainer for maybe two nights and I swear her front teeth already started to move. Kinda freaked us both out.
We tried those clear retainers, and yeah, she liked them way more for sleeping, but we went through two sets in a year because they cracked down the middle. Not sure if she’s just rough with them or if they’re all that delicate. The metal ones are less comfy, but at least they don’t break as easily.
Worth it in the end, but man, it’s a whole saga.
That “hockey puck” retainer feeling is such a rite of passage, right? I’ve heard a lot of people say the clear ones crack if you bite down too hard or grind your teeth at night—does she grind her teeth? Also, I always wonder, do kids actually get used to the lisp or just learn to work around it? The metal ones are bulky but seem to last forever. Did you ever try those fixed retainers glued behind the teeth, or was that off the table?
I had one of those fixed retainers glued behind my bottom teeth for years—honestly, it was kind of a relief not to have to remember to put anything in at night. But, I did have to get used to flossing with those little threader things, which was a pain. As for the lisp, my niece just powered through it and stopped noticing after a couple weeks. I think your mouth just adapts, kind of like how your brain tunes out background noise. The clear retainers do crack, though, especially if you’re a grinder... I went through three in college alone.
The clear retainers do crack, though, especially if you’re a grinder... I went through three in college alone.
That’s definitely a big downside to the clear ones—mine split right down the middle after just a few months because I clench my jaw at night. But honestly, I found the fixed retainer way more annoying for cleaning. Even with the threaders, I felt like I was never getting everything out. I guess it comes down to which hassle you can live with... For me, swapping out cracked plastic every now and then was less frustrating than fighting with floss every single day.
I totally get where you’re coming from about the cleaning hassle. That fixed retainer made me nervous every time I flossed—like, what if I missed something and ended up with a cavity? But the clear ones stressed me out too, just in a different way. I cracked two in the first year because of clenching, and then I’d worry about my teeth shifting while I waited for a replacement. It’s like, pick your poison, right?
For me, swapping out cracked plastic every now and then was less frustrating than fighting with floss every single day.
I guess for me, the daily floss struggle felt more manageable than the anxiety of not having a retainer at all if it broke. Plus, I’m always worried about losing the clear ones or forgetting to put them back in after eating. The fixed one is just... there. No way to misplace it, at least.
Honestly, neither option feels perfect. Just wish there was something that didn’t crack or trap food. Maybe someday?
