Totally agree about the backup retainer being a gamble. I tried using mine after a year in the drawer, and it felt like my teeth were staging a protest—super sore for days. Ended up caving for a new one too, even though the price stings. Did you guys have to wait long for your replacement? My office took almost two weeks, which felt like forever.
When my daughter’s retainer broke, I thought we could just use her old backup too... but wow, not so simple. She tried to wear it overnight and woke up complaining her teeth were aching, and honestly, I felt bad for not checking with the ortho first. It’s wild how even a few months can make a difference with those things fitting right.
We ended up needing a new retainer as well. Here’s how it went for us: first, I called the office and they squeezed us in for a quick scan within three days. After that, it was about ten days before we got the replacement—so yeah, nearly two weeks like you mentioned. The waiting felt endless because I kept worrying her teeth would start shifting back.
If anyone else is in this boat, here’s what worked for us:
1. Call your ortho ASAP and ask if they can do a rush order (sometimes they have options for that, though it might cost more).
2. If you have an old backup but it feels tight or painful, don’t push through—could do more harm than good.
3. Ask if they’ll give you a temporary solution—our office offered to make a quick “essix” style retainer using an old mold just to tide us over.
Insurance didn’t help much with the cost (ugh), but at least we got a small discount since she was still under their post-braces care plan. The price still stings though... especially knowing kids are so rough on these things.
I’ve learned my lesson: now we keep the retainer in a bright neon case on her desk so it doesn’t disappear into the abyss of her room again. And every few months, I double-check the fit just to be safe. Retainers are such a hassle but honestly worth all the trouble if it means no more braces down the line.
Hope your new one fits better than that backup did!
Totally relate to this—my son’s backup retainer was a no-go too. He tried to force it for a night and woke up cranky, so lesson learned there. The ortho told us not to risk it if it feels off, which I wish I’d known sooner. We also had to wait nearly two weeks for the new one, and I was low-key panicking about his teeth shifting the whole time. Now I’m paranoid about where that thing is—if he loses it again, I swear I’ll glue it to his forehead... Kidding (sort of). Retainers are way more drama than I expected, but yeah, beats another round of braces.
Ugh, I feel this so much. My daughter managed to lose her retainer at a sleepover and I swear, it was like DEFCON 1 at our house until the new one arrived. I didn’t even know teeth could move that fast, but her front tooth looked a little off in just a week. The ortho said not to worry, but I was checking her smile every day like some kind of tooth detective.
We tried the old backup retainer too, but honestly, it was way too tight and just made things worse. I get what you mean about the drama—never thought I’d be this invested in a piece of plastic. Now she keeps it in a neon case so it’s harder to lose, but I still have mini heart attacks when she can’t find it right away. At least we’re all on the same page about not risking it if it doesn’t fit right. No way am I paying for braces round two if I can help it...
I totally get where you’re coming from—those retainers are like gold, but also somehow the easiest thing to misplace or break. When mine snapped, I freaked out about my teeth moving too, and honestly, it’s wild how fast you notice little shifts. I tried squeezing into an old one for a night, but it just felt wrong and made my gums sore. Glad your ortho reassured you, though. The neon case idea is genius... I might steal that trick because I’m tired of playing “where’s the retainer” every morning.
