Just got top and bottom hawley retainers. Thought my teeth were shifting and my fixed retainer broke years ago and was a pain. Thought the clear retainers would need to be replaced too often or I would lose them so I tried the hawley retainers. Didn’t contemplate the lispyness! Pretty embarrassing talking to people. Got them on Thursday so been pretty weird weekend trying to get used to them. Not sure I made the right decision but too late now. Have to wear them full time for 6 months then just at night. Anyone else had Hawley retainers in their 30s or older?

I’d have to email it to you. What’s your email?

They are ok. Didn’t really expect them to be so big. Been hard getting used to them Over the weekend. Talking is weird. Only had them since Thursday. Glad there are similar people to talk to about it. I had sagitall removable brace when I was younger but this time just braces so not had anything like these retainers since I was 8!! Did you have anything at an older age?

Update. Been pretty good so far. Wearing them pretty much full time. Not when I have meetings but working from home which has made it a lot easier. Just take them out if I have a video call. Not what I expected but my teeth will be straight so that’s the main thing.

Well the inevitable happened and I broke my retainer....

How on earth did you break a retainer?

How on earth did you break a retainer?

In fairness, I could easily envision Carrie doing the same!

This is why we have spares...

Yeah, my wife tends to lose things, so we got her a spare set of Hawleys just in case. Was only $150 from her ortho, so now she has one set of Essix (rarely worn) a two sets of Hawleys.

Had to get a replacement retainer. Got it today. Just a like for like so not much to say really. Still a bit weird going in to get it but I fully stand by my decision to get Hawley ones. They haven’t been a problem at all other than slightly embarrassing getting them. At home they are fine and have caused me no issues. Wish I hadn’t broken the last one as really as a cost thing they would have been way better than the Invisalign which need to be replaced every year 18 months.

@retainer101 I bought a hawley retainer from bracesshop and then got a modified twin block with herbst. The quality and fit is great! You won't be disappointed! You'll have to share some pics when you get your twin blocks!

I just had an email saying my twin blocks and headgear are now made and will be sent to me! They also sent a picture of the braces and I have to say I am really surprised by the quality of them. They have really done a great job. I now can’t wait for them to get here! Prob be another couple of weeks . I’ll try and figure out how to link in a photo of them. If someone has an idiot guide to how to do it please let me know

Wow, your lower arch is really shifted. Perhaps you will end up in real braces like me 

Thanks for letting me know. I’ve deleted it!  :-

https://dereferer.me/?https://* c e n s o r e d */ft4BPfJ

https://dereferer.me/?https://* c e n s o r e d */vQYK3zM

Has anyone else used the bracesshop to get a custom made brace? I’ve had my twin blocks for a few weeks now and I have to say they are really well made. I wear them going out and about with no discomfort at all. I used to bite my nails but with the braces in I can’t do it so it’s helping me stop that too which is a bonus. I would recommend the bracesshop to any of you who have wanted a type of brace you might have been to nervous to get. It’s pretty discreet, not bad value and the only annoying bit is the wait but that’s expected. I’m really happy with my twin blocks, anyone else had anything from There?

Had my appointment today. Went well. The dentist was interested to see if it would actually work as a habit breaker and I promised them a bottle of champagne if it did work! She also said that as it has occlusal coverage it can affect the bite as it is more of a brace than a retainer but I said I don’t have the habit when I sleep so I’ll wear my retainer at night and the brace sporadically during the day during times I normally bite my nails like watching tv or driving. She said I need to go back every 3-4 weeks to make sure it’s not detrimentally affecting my bite which I agreed to but she was intrigued to see if this works. Will go back to get the appliance in a few weeks when they call me in. Not sure if any of you bite your nails but if this works I shall keep you posted. If it does it will be the best investment I have made, if it doesn’t it’s not the most expensive thing to try.

Looking forward to seeing it!

Very nice

Just thought I’d update on progress as this brace is working wonders. A week in and I have nails for the first time in 30+ years. It’s still early days but having tried everything else I really didn’t think a removable brace would be the thing that worked!! I know this is a braces forum and not a nail biting forum but if anyone else has the habit and wants to stop I really would recommend this. You can wear the brace when you know you normally bite your nails so you can manage most of the time to not have to wear it in awkward situations. I’ve been wearing it out a few times but not with friends or family and I don’t wear it at night or in meetings. It’s really not as much trouble as I thought it would be. Id love to hear if anyone else has this habit and would consider the same treatment. I would recommend it as a last resort for sure. It’s only been a week or so, so don’t want to get ahead of myself but it’s really shocking how much it’s worked.

I am also an avid nail biter ever since I remember (and I remember biting my nails back when I was 4 or 5 y/o). My parents tried everything back then without any success.

Having started my treatment with removable braces half a year ago and having gotten occlusal coverage (and quite a hefty one at that) I also noticed that I couldn't bite my nails anymore.
Over six years ago I got a night guard for my top teeth (~1mm occlusal coverage but on all teeth including the incisors) which was constructed in such a way that all teeth met the guard. I tried wearing that during the day when I'd normally bite nails. But all it took was a few days for me to find a spot where I could continue biting my nails...
Only now with just posterior bite planes I'm really unable to do so. I cut my fingernails for the first time ever a few weeks ago! That was such a crazy thing! The open space also reduces my lip biting a little, although not completely.

Unfortunately, as soon as I don't have the braces in, I instantly go back to subconsciously biting my nails. For example if I don't instantly put back in my braces after having finished eating and start working on stuff, I lose all fingernails again in the matter of an hour That's also why it took half a year for me to cut the nails for the very first time and why it'll probably about as long until it'll be able to cut them for the second time. I wish you more luck in that regard!

As a warning to make sure that it won't happen to you: Due to my strong clenching, the posterior occlusal coverage intruded all of my molars resulting in a posterior open bite. My bite planes were removed from my lower plate and an anterior bite plate added to my top one to extrude the molars again.
Even that one resulted in my incisors intruding quite quickly, which means my ortho now told me to only wear my braces at max 12 hours per day. RIP my fingernails, which are suffering strongly since then.

Although my ortho said that she has never seen anything like that in her whole career before, as a word of advice, if you notice that your teeth / molars not fitting together perfectly anymore, be sure to make an appointment and let your ortho check it as soon as possible.

Essix are easily breakable. I was offered that first ad discussed with the dentist but I thought they would break too often and be more expensive in the long run.

I still have the same retainer though, so it’s hopefully going to be cheaper. Fingers crossed it won’t break whereas, having spoken to the dentist, the essix one would be more prone to breaking and easier to lose it so could end up costing more. Hawley Retainer felt like the stronger and last longer

I chickened out asking for a new retainer. The one I have is ok it is doing the job and although slightly uncomfortable I can live with it. I figured as long as it is working and not adversely affecting my teeth/jaw then it’s ok. I wish I hadn’t chickened out though as there was no harm in asking for a new one. It’s for another 12 months so I would have been ok to ask. Anyway I haven’t bitten my nails and that is the first time in many years so I am happy with that. I would recommend it to anyone who has the same habit as me who has tried all the other things and it’s not worked. It’s not an ideal thing to do because it’s obviously embarrassing to wear a retainer like this but it has worked and is the only thing that has done so each to their own but it does work so if you do have the habit it is worth a try.

My retainer with occlusal coverage doesn’t sit right and my bit is more open than it needs to be. As my dentist won’t go with my idea of asking the lab to make a schwartz brace top and bottom with occlusal on the top I’ve decided to go to another ortho to see if they will do it. My appointment is today. The reason I think this will work better is they will make both appliances together and hopefully take more care than when just making the retainer. I might be wrong, in which case it’s a waste of money but if I’m right it will really help as I’m not wearing the retainer because its so uncomfortable

Had the appointment to get my moulds and photos done and all systems go now. Have my appointment to get the braces fitted on the 10th Aug assuming the appliances arrive in time, if not might be a wait as the ortho is on holiday for a couple of weeks after that.

Was supposed to have my appointment on Wednesday but they made the braces without the occlusal coverage so they had to be sent back and now my ortho is on holiday so have to wait 4 weeks until 7th September. Bit annoying but these things happen.

Very nice!

You'll get used to them fairly quickly with practice and no one will notice

Luckily the pub was quiet but still got asked by the bar staff twice about my braces. It’s so weird. Has anyone else had braces like these as an adult? Feels so weird being so old with removable braces. I know it gets easier but such a strange thing to go through

I wasn’t actually given a choice of color. She said they only provide these types of appliances in clear color. I’m ok with that as it’s bit more discrete.

I have to wear them 24/7 except when playing contact sports, eating and swimming. I mentioned a few meetings I would find it hard to wear them and she was ok with that. She said drinking was fine but I didn’t ask about tea and coffee, thank for the heads up on that.

She said it was likely I would need a turn on the screws but would need to be gradual and probably only one or two and then the labial bows will be used to straighten everything.

Your retainer sounds very similar to what I have but I think you are right that having the screws definitely makes it thicker. 

Actually not as good as I thought it would be. It was way worse than I expected when I first got them but I did think I’d get used to speaking with them better than I have. I have got used to having them in my mouth but Still have a big lisp. I’m getting braver wearing them out in public so hopefully with more practice my speech will get better. I have to go back on Tuesday as the occlusal isn’t moulded very well to my bottom teeth so only my back left tooth touches which keeps my jaw open more than it should which might be why it’s still hard to speak, will see if they can fix it

So will you not have any supervision during minor straightening of your incisors? I didn't during the brief period my retainer was resolving relapse. for most of the time, I have been wearing it solely for retention and am now down to part time wear..

Did your ortho turn or ask you to turn your expansion screws?

Do you mind if I ask you how much you have paid this ortho?

All the best with your modified retainer. I hope your speech is improving.

2 months in and all going ok. Fairly used to them now but it’s still quite embarrassing! Talking much better. Had my 2nd adjustment, slow progress but progress being made. Still not quite used to the concept of having removable braces but I’m definitely more comfortable than I was. 2nd adjustment was to activate the appliance and adjustment to the labial wire. Was slightly tender after but not too bad.

To answer @embracer they cost about £400 each brace so £800 in total.

@retainer101 Glad you took the jump and looking forward to seeing your progress throughout 2023!

Have you activated the screws yet?

Have you activated the screws yet?

my ortho does it rather than me as she I’m only doing 1/4 turns and not many of them so she is controlling it. It’s hard to expand the jaw at my age so this is only creating a small bit of space so the labial now can be adjusted to make the minor changes needed on my front teeth, the real bit is addressing my molars which the occlusal coverage is doing

I see and how do you feel about it wearing it non stop ?

At first I was so scared and wasn’t too happy at all but if you throw yourself in and get passed the first week or two then it does become slightly easier and while still very embarrassing it is amazing how much you grow in confidence with it in. Eating with them is still tricky and so having to wear them full time for that is pretty annoying! Sometimes I can’t manage so just take them out.

When i got mine, quite a few years ago now, (through choice, not for treatment), I decided to wear them full time from the minute I got them, just for the experience.
At first, eating was very strange as I could feel nothing in the roof of my mouth due to the coverage of the large top plate. Each time I ate anything, I was very conscious of the appliance, but that was exactly why I wanted to get them.
It was quite a few weeks before, one day I realised that I had eaten a full meal and had completely forgotten that I was wearing the retainer. Again, somehow that was what I had been looking forwards to...ie,  it was now part of me.

What type is of brace did you have? I’m still not used to eating with mine! Think it’s because of the occlusal coverage as it means I can’t chew molar to molar, I’m chewing acrylic to molar so it makes it harder and feels unnatural! Not a fan. For softer foods it’s ok but for main meaty meals it’s nearly impossible!