Haha, trust me, you're definitely not alone there... I've had patients who paid upfront and still forgot their retainers in napkins at restaurants. Maybe it's less about payment method and more about personality? Curious if others feel the same way.
Haha, good point! I've noticed that too—some people are just naturally forgetful, payment method aside. I once had a patient who jokingly called herself the "retainer queen" because she'd lost so many. But honestly, setting reminders or having a designated retainer case can help a lot. It's less about budgeting and more about building habits...though I'm sure paying upfront might make some folks extra careful.
I totally relate to the forgetfulness thing...I haven't even gotten my braces yet and I'm already nervous about losing retainers! 😂 My sister used to wrap hers in napkins at lunch—guess how many ended up in the trash? Definitely taking your advice on the designated case.
Haha, the napkin thing is a classic—I can't tell you how many retainers I've heard about ending up in cafeteria trash bins. You're already ahead of the game by planning to use a designated case. One tip I always give is to pick a brightly colored or patterned case, something that's easy to spot in your bag or on the lunch table. Have you thought about setting phone reminders too? It sounds silly, but it genuinely helps build the habit, especially at first.
Totally agree about the phone reminders—honestly, they're a lifesaver. I felt a bit silly at first setting alarms for something as simple as putting in my retainer, but it genuinely helped me build the habit. After a while, it becomes second nature, but those first few weeks...yeah, reminders are your friend.
Also, the brightly colored case idea is spot-on. I went with neon green (not exactly subtle, haha) and it saved me more than once from leaving it behind at restaurants or friends' houses. Another thing that helped me was having a backup case stashed somewhere else—like in my locker or backpack—just in case I forgot mine at home. It eased my anxiety knowing I had a spare handy.
On the budgeting side of things, I totally get the stress of deciding between monthly payments or upfront savings. For me personally, monthly payments felt less overwhelming because I could factor them into my regular budget without feeling like I'd just drained my savings account all at once. But if you have the means to pay upfront and snag a discount, that's definitely worth considering too. Just make sure you're comfortable with whatever option you choose—there's no one-size-fits-all answer here.
And hey, don't worry too much about losing retainers or messing up routines. Everyone slips up occasionally (I definitely did), and orthodontists have seen it all before. You're already thinking ahead and planning carefully, so you're doing great.
