I had that permanent wire retainer glued to the back of my bottom teeth for a few years. Honestly, it was kind of a hassle. Flossing got way trickier—you have to thread the floss under the wire every single time, which took forever and made me super paranoid about missing spots. On the plus side, I never had to remember to put it in or worry about losing it. But if you’re a bit anxious about keeping things clean (like me), the clear removable ones are probably less stressful.
That’s such a good point about the flossing hassle with those permanent wires. I had one for a while too, and honestly, I got so frustrated trying to keep everything clean that I ended up getting one of those tiny interdental brushes. It helped a bit, but I still worried about missing stuff. The clear trays seem easier for cleaning, but I’d be scared I’d forget to wear them enough, especially at night. Did you ever feel like the wire was messing with your bite or was it just the cleaning that bugged you most?
The clear trays seem easier for cleaning, but I’d be scared I’d forget to wear them enough, especially at night.
I get where you’re coming from about the trays, but honestly, most folks do better than they expect with compliance once it becomes part of their routine. The wire’s definitely a pain for cleaning, but I’ve seen people actually feel more secure with it since there’s nothing to remember or lose. Did you notice any shifting when you switched to trays, or did your teeth feel pretty stable? Sometimes the bite can feel a bit off with the wire if it’s not placed just right, but that’s not super common in my experience.
Totally get the worry about forgetting the trays, especially at night—it's such a shift from having something permanently in your mouth. For me, once the braces were off, I actually liked having the trays because I could clean my teeth properly again, but I did stress at first about remembering them. After a couple weeks, though, it just became habit. Did you ever wake up in a panic thinking you forgot to put them in? That happened to me a few times... teeth still stayed put, thankfully.
Haha, yes, I’ve definitely had those middle-of-the-night moments where I bolt upright and check if my retainers are in. It’s weird how your brain just panics out of nowhere. For me, the real stress was thinking about what would happen if I lost a tray—those replacements are not cheap. I started keeping the case right on my nightstand so it became part of my bedtime routine, like phone-charger-keys-retainer all in one spot.
I actually ended up setting a reminder on my phone for the first month or so. It felt silly but honestly, it helped me avoid waking up in a sweat thinking I’d messed up and wasted all that time (and money) on braces. After a while, it just clicked into place—kind of like muscle memory.
Cleaning was such a relief after braces though, totally agree there. Felt like my teeth could finally breathe again. Still, every now and then when I’m traveling or super tired, I get nervous about forgetting them. But so far, no disasters.
If you ever do forget for a night, don’t freak out too much—I missed once or twice early on and nothing shifted. Just don’t make it a habit and you’ll be fine. Honestly, the cost of losing progress is what keeps me motivated to keep track. Not paying for another round of treatment if I can help it!
