Retainer glued in or popping one in and out?

As for sensitivity, I actually noticed less weirdness once the fixed one was gone. My teeth felt cleaner and not as “trapped,” if that makes sense.

That’s interesting. My kid’s ortho is pushing for a fixed retainer, but I keep going back and forth. The “trapped” feeling is exactly what I’m worried about for her - she’s super picky about textures and anything that feels off in her mouth. At the same time, I know she’d lose a removable one in about a week, even with reminders.

Did you have any issues with flossing or cleaning around the glued-in retainer? That’s my other hesitation. I remember having one myself as a teen and it was just such a pain to keep the area clean... always felt like food would get stuck no matter how careful I was. But maybe things have improved since then? Or maybe kids these days are better at sticking to those routines than I ever was.

Also curious if anyone’s kid actually managed to wear their removable retainer every night without a ton of nagging. Is it realistic to expect a younger teen to be consistent, or is that just wishful thinking?

I know she’d lose a removable one in about a week, even with reminders.

That’s exactly my fear too - my kid would 100% misplace it before the week was out. I actually had a glued-in one as a teen and cleaning was... not fun. Floss threaders helped but I still dreaded it. I’m hoping things are a bit easier now, but honestly, if your daughter hates weird textures, the fixed one might bug her more than you think.